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

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

JULY 2020 Volume 8 • Issue 7

Could Covid-19 restore air service to Portland? By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Upscale living for renters taking shape on the Pasco waterfront Page 7

Park’s namesake led Manhattan, Pentagon projects Page 8

9 questions about cranes, Covid-19 and the economy with Lampson International Page 13

MONTHLY QUIZ In 1928, what name was given to the airport at what is now Eastgate Park in Kennewick and now bordering Eastgate Elementary School? Answer, Page 9

The Covid-19 crisis blew a hole in the aviation industry, but there could be opportunity hidden in the mayhem for airports with strong underlying business models like the one in Pasco. The Tri-Cities Airport could gain new air routes and even see airlines resume direct service to Portland International Airport. That’s the scenario laid out by Jack Penning of Volaire Aviation Consulting, which advises the Port of Pasco on the airline industry. Penning, who is based in Portland, shared his take on Covid-19 impacts and opportunities during a May 29 “Coffee with Karl” virtual meetup with Karl Dye, president and chief executive officer of the Tri-City Development Council. As the Mid-Columbia’s economic development agency, TRIDEC works closely with the port to advocate for more and better routes in and out of Pasco. Penning said the Tri-Cities could benefit from opportunities that weren’t available a few years ago, when regional airlines such as Alaska’s Horizon Air canceled routes as they struggled with shortages of pilots and craft. The Portland run was dropped for good in 2018. But those shortages are no longer an issue. Instead, the pandemic is forcing airlines to rethink the map, drop questionable runs and add new ones. That could spell opportunity for Pasco. “It’s not all doom and gloom. There are opportunities ahead,” Penning said. First, the bad news: 2020 will go down as a terrible year for air travel statistics. Even if air travel revives, Pasco uAIRPORT, Page 10

Courtesy Roy Keck The Lil’ Miss Becky Lee began life as a 15-foot Dorsett El Dorado runabout and is now the bar at the Richland Yacht Club.

Vintage boat cruises into new life as bar at Richland Yacht Club By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The little runabout was so perfect, Roy Keck couldn’t help himself. When the like-new 1962 Dorsett El Dorado the color of harvest gold came up at auction, the boating enthusiast had to have it. The 15-foot fiberglass beauty had fewer than 90 hours on its Mercury 50 engine. The original owner garaged it in the Yakima area for decades. It only hit the auction block when the owner’s heirs

settled his estate. Keck, a retired Energy Northwest executive who serves on the Port of Benton Commission, is a boat lover who has held every position there is at the Richland Yacht Club. He was captivated by the boat. “I bought this boat about five years ago because it was in pristine condition,” he said. “The last thing I needed was another boat. But I couldn’t pass it up.” He bought it and hauled it to his mauBOAT BAR, Page 2

Crow Butte ready to welcome campers — when Phase 2 comes By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

One good thing happened when Crow Butte Park in southern Benton County closed to campers because of the Covid-19 crisis. No one was camping in early June when a storm blew through. Lightning struck an irrigation pump and 14 large trees blew down in the campground. Normally, all 52 campsites would have been occupied, as they typically are during the March 15 to Oct. 31 camping season. Visitors were in the day-use area, but camp hosts shooed them out. The damaging storm caused no injuries, to the

relief of the Port of Benton, which has managed the 275-acre property on the Columbia River since 2001. Remote and wild, Crow Butte is routinely ranked as a favorite Northwest destination for RVers and campers. It has a swimming beach, boat dock, fishing, hiking trails and spacious camp sites with full RV hookups. It’s a getaway that lives up to its reputation. RVs account for about two-thirds of overnight guests. Tent campers account for the remaining third. The unwelcome closure had another benefit too, said Miles Thomas, director of economic development and governuCROW BUTTE, Page 3

PLEASE DELIVER TO CURRENT OCCUPANT

Senior Times 8919 W. Grandridge Blvd., Ste. A1 Kennewick, WA 99336

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PASCO, WA PERMIT NO. 8778

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020 BOAT BAR, From page 1

509-737-8778 509-737-8448 fax 8919 W. Grandridge Blvd., Ste. A1 Kennewick, WA 99336 srtimes.com

STAFF Melanie Hair CEO 509-737-8778 ext. 5 melanie@tcjournal.biz Kristina Lord Publisher 509-737-8778 ext. 3 publisher@tcjournal.biz Wendy Culverwell Editor 509-737-8778 ext. 6 editor@tcjournal.biz Tiffany Lundstrom Advertising Director 509-737-8778 ext. 2 tiffany@tcjournal.biz Chad Utecht Advertising Account Manager 509-737-8778 ext. 1 chad@tcjournal.biz Vanessa Guzmán Graphic Designer 509-737-8778 ext. 4 ads@tcjournal.biz

Senior Times, a publication of TriComp Inc., is published monthly. Subscriptions are $21.67 per year, prepayment required, no refunds. Contents of this publication are the sole property of TriComp 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.

Get the Senior Times every month in your mailbox Subscriptions: One year - $21.67 Two years - $34.70 Three years - $42.30 All prices include Kennewick sales tax.

To subscribe send your name, mailing address, and a check payable to Senior Times to:

8919 W. Grandridge Blvd. Suite A-1, Kennewick, WA 99336

chine shop/man cave at the Richland Airport. He’d developed an industrial shop at the airport with his son after he retired about 13 years ago. Most space is leased to tenants but the Kecks retained room for a personal shop where they restore old cars and spend time with friends. The boat lingered for several years. But in time, the Kecks dove in and retooled it as a tribute to Roy Keck’s wife following her illness and death several years ago. They sliced a bartender-sized hole in the center, installed counters and legs and turned it into a service bar. On a Saturday in June, they hauled it to the Richland Yacht Club, where the boat, now named Lil’ Miss Becky Lee after his wife, occupies pride of place in the club’s $1.7 million clubhouse. Dorsetts were widely produced in the 1960s and played an outsized role in the booming recreational boating market. Their swoopy stylings and company logo were right at home in an era that birthed the original Star Trek television series and the Sean Conneryera James Bond films.

Roy Keck, a retired Energy Northwest executive and current Port of Benton commissioner, bought a 15-foot 1962 Dorsett El Dorado about eight years ago. Now it’s been reinvented as a bar at the Richland Yacht Club.

Surviving Dorsetts tend to be rundown and unseaworthy. YouTube has many videos highlighting old boats and restoration efforts. But the one from Yakima was almost flawless. “It was a perfect barn find,” Keck said. Lil’ Miss Becky Lee rests on legs instead of a hull, but her key features are all there. The Mercury is perched on the transom. The lights and fixtures work. The distinctive Dorsett windshield, designed to pivot so passengers could scramble onto the deck,

is in place too. The boat is on loan to the yacht club at 350 Columbia Point Drive. The club is dedicated to the enjoyment of boating and safety education. It boasts a 176-slip marina at Columbia Point and has about 400 members. With the boat now resting comfortably near the river, the Kecks are teeing up another project. They’re restoring a 1935 Hudson Terraplane – an old school gangster car they plan to power with a Corvette engine and drive train.

uBRIEFS

Online shopping tops fraud list

ones safe, healthy and at home. Register at bit.ly/AZcovidwebinar.

Mask use is now mandatory across Washington

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Secretary of Health John Wiesman issued a statewide mask mandate to curtail the spread of the virus that causes the deadly Covid-19. The order follows rising case counts throughout the state. Benton and Franklin counties have recorded large increases, which drove the Washington Department of Health to “pause” their applications to move to Phase 2 of the Safe Start program. The mask order took effect June 26 and requires most people to cover their nose and mouth in public spaces, both indoors and outdoors. The order exempts people with medical conditions that preclude the use of masks as well as those who are deaf. Children under 5 are not required to wear masks, but they are recommended for those ages 3-5. Masks do not need to be worn when eating in restaurants, at home or when outdoors when there are few people around. “Masking up is not just something that saves lives, it can save economies,” Inslee said. “If we don’t want to turn the dial back on phases in counties, we need every Washingtonian to join us in this effort.”

Courtesy Roy Keck

Reports about online shopping topped the list of Covid-19-related complaints from consumers in Washington state and nationally, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Most Covid-19-related complaints include reports about items not arriving when promised and items that are different than advertised. Between Jan. 1 and June 8, Washington consumers reported losing a total of nearly $1.3 million to fraud related to the pandemic, with a median loss of $400. Washington consumers also reported fraud related to vacation and travel problems and issues with fitness club memberships and other health-related services. Learn more at bit.ly/ FTCCovidFraud

Alzheimer’s Association offers Covid-19 webinar

The Alzheimer’s Association Washington State Chapter will present a free webinar on how to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic with a loved one affected by dementia. Dr. Anita Chopra will address the challenge of explaining the pandemic to loved ones from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 8. The session includes time for questions and will cover strategies for keeping loved

Washington 529 plan gets top marks from raters

DreamAhead, Washington state’s 529 college investment plan, has been named one of the top directsold 529 investment plans in the nation by savingforcollege.com. DreamAhead is ranked fourth among the 56 state direct-sold 529 plans. The rankings are based on one-year investment performance. Savingforcollege.com based the rankings on a composite of the plans’ portfolio performance in seven unique asset allocation categories. For full rankings and more information, visit Savingforcollege.com. Washington established DreamAhead in 2018. It is one of two 529 plans offered by the state to help families prepare for the cost of higher education. Washington also offers the GET prepaid tuition 529 program, which opened in 1998. Funds in a 529 account can be used to cover a wide range of educational expenses, including tuition, state-mandated fees, books, computers and some living expenses. 529 funds can be used for trade school, technical training, apprenticeships, or to pay down existing student loans. Go to dreamahead.wa.gov for details.

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

CROW BUTTE, From page 1

ment affairs for the port. It gave workers added time to finish repairs to the antiquated irrigation and sewer systems and to tackle overgrown trees and shrubs. The combination contributed to Crow Butte’s tired and overgrown appearance. The port spent $25,000 to repair the caretaker’s house and office, $50,000 to repair the collapsing sewer lines and $40,000 on the irrigation system. Thomas suspects even more trees would have fallen in the June storm if workers hadn’t tackled the overgrowth. When it reopens, visitors will find a grassier park and tamed trees. The pandemic may have delivered benefits, but it’s an unwelcome visitor. The port wants to reopen the campground, Thomas said. But it won’t do it until it’s allowed under Washington’s Safe Start program. It reopened Crow Butte to day visitors, hikers and fishers, which are allowed under Phase 1, Benton County’s status in early June. Guests are asked to keep a safe distance and wear face masks. Visitors need to wear masks around park staff, which includes two couples who serve as paid hosts at the campgrounds. The playground is closed, as is the campground.

They will stay closed until Benton County meets the state’s goals for managing coronavirus to warrant moving to Phase 2. Phase 2 allows businesses to open on a limited basis. It also expands on outdoor recreation to allow camping, visits to beaches and some sporting activities. It is unclear when Benton and Franklin counties will graduate to the next phase. The two have the state’s highest infection rates after Yakima County. The Washington Department of Health “paused” Benton and Franklin counties’ Phase 2 applications in midJune over rising infection levels. There have been requests to allow RVers whose campers have their own bathrooms and showers and don’t need access to communal restrooms. It decided against the RV-only plan. “We feel that we need to wait and follow the guidance through the state so we can confidently open the park to all patrons safely,” Thomas said. Until it reopens, the port is forced to cancel campsite reservations and refund payments, which come to about $16,000 a month. The park generated $230,000 in 2019. Salaries, insurance and maintenance cost about $200,000. There were 6,243 day-use visitors, 1,141 overnight campers and 1,706 moorage visitors last year.

Courtesy Port of Benton Above: The Port of Benton is eager to show off updates to the Crow Butte Park campground west of Paterson on the Columbia River. It can’t until Benton County moves to Phase 2 of Washington’s Safe Start program. Below: Robert Jackson of the Port of Benton maintenance team works on the Crow Butte Park irrigation system.

RVers pay $35 a night to camp while tent campers pay $20. Day visitors are asked to pay $5. Thomas said the port is developing a web-based payment system to reduce the need for cash at the park. The Port of Benton runs Crow Butte under a state law that encourages public ports to support recreational and tourism activities in areas where other public and private agencies aren’t able to do so. The Army Corps of Engineers set up Crow Butte Park in 1970s as part of the McNary Dam project. The Washington State Parks Department ran it until a budget crisis forced it to consider closing it. The

port took over under its lesser-known mission to support recreation and tourism areas in underserved areas. Situated about 14 miles west of Paterson on Highway 14, Crow Butte is surrounded by farmland and a sparse population that doesn’t attract investment. The park itself has such poor cellphone coverage that the port recently equipped hosts with satellite phones so they can field calls about reservations. Follow the park’s status @crowbuttepark on Facebook. Call 509-940-7326 or email res@ portofbenton.com for more information.

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

When it comes to coronavirus, protect your health and your wallet Scammers look to capitalize on the news of the moment, especially if the headlines can instill fear and motivate people to act. The ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus is no exception. While scientists and medical professionals are working overtime to find ways to test for and stem the spread of the virus, the Federal Trade Commission warns that bad actors are working hard to use this as an opportunity to deceive consumers and steal their money or sensitive information. Just as you can protect yourself from the virus, you can also keep these opportunistic scammers at bay.

How it works:

• Scammers may set up websites to sell bogus coronavirus products — from face masks to vaccines to cure-alls — and use fake emails, texts and social media posts to get you to share payment or sensitive personal information. • You may come across emails or social posts claiming to promote

awareness and prevention tips, including fake information about cases in your neighborhood. • Scammers Jason Erskine may use this AARP as a way to tout an GUEST COLUMN alleged can’tmiss investment opportunity — say in face masks or a cure. • You may get donation requests claiming to raise money to help victims. • Stimulus payment scams: Scammers are using phone calls, e-mails, and texts with false information about stimulus payments (economic impact payments) from the federal government. The scammers want your money and will try to obtain personal information such as your Social Security and/or bank account number.

What you should know:

• Know that there is currently no

vaccine available for coronavirus. • Any advertised investment opportunity that claims to ride the wave of economic activity due to the virus is probably an opportunity to lose money to a scam. • Your best resources for information on the virus are the ones you know and trust — but first verify that the resource is who you think it is. • The IRS emphasizes that they will not call, text, email, or contact you on social media asking for personal or bank account information — even related to the economic impact payments.

What you should do:

• Don’t click on email links from sources you don’t know. It could download malware on your device. • Ignore any online offers for vaccinations or treatments. If a vaccine or treatment is developed, you will hear about it in the news, not on an online ad or sales pitch. • If you receive a communication claiming to be from a government agency like the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, close the email and then visit the agency’s website directly at cdc.gov. • Engage your inner skeptic when confronted with donation requests. Before giving, check out charity watchdogs, like give.org or charitynavigator.org. • To check on how and when you will receive your economic impact payment, go to irs.gov.coronavirus. Most eligible persons will automatically receive payments but some who are not required to file an IRS tax return will need to fill out a form. Instructions are provided at irs.gov/coronavirus. When it comes to fraud, vigilance is our No. 1 weapon. You have the power to protect yourself and your loved ones from scams. If you can SPOT a scam, you can STOP a scam. Please share this alert with friends and family. Jason Erskine is communications director for the AARP Washington State Office.

Support your community Support local business

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

Boardman hotel builds riverfront cabins with a view By Kristina Lord

publisher@tcjournal.biz

Tri-Citians looking for change of scenery that doesn’t involve a long drive or flight can head about 50 miles south to stay in a riverside cabin with panoramic views of the Columbia River. The River Lodge & Grill in Boardman broke ground on two cabins, which were expected to open in July. And more are planned. The popularity of Airbnb and private cabins for those looking for an adventure or unique experiences prompted the lodge owners to offer this new option, said Leah Marsh, marketing manager for Portlandbased COHO Services, which manages the lodge for its owner, TG Hotel LLC, also based in the Portland area. “This is a way to get that, where you’re not having somebody sharing a wall with anybody else. You have your own private deck. You step outside and you have the view. It’s a different experience than staying in a guest room inside the lodge,” she said. The Boardman cabins at 6 Marine Drive NE are prefabricated tiny homes, built by Wolf Industries of Battle Ground, Washington. Wolf Industries, which is also the project’s general contractor, lists base models ranging from $56,000 up to $80,000. The cost goes up from there, depending on the selection of options for the kitchens, appliances, bathrooms, technology and porches. Building and fire protection permits for the riverfront cabin project filed with the city of Boardman in mid-

April list the valuation at $306,000 and detail plans for 10 homes. Marsh said the plan now calls for five cabins, with the next three planned by year’s end. The first two cabins will be a studio and a two-bedroom, each with a window framing the river. Amenities include WiFi and a kitchenette with a refrigerator, microwave, electric hot plate, cooking utensils, dishware, cups, wine glasses and Keurig coffee makers. The 400-square-foot studio cabin offers a king bed, bathroom with a stand-up shower, two LCD TVs, dining area and small living room. The two-bedroom offers more than 600 square feet of space, one bedroom with a king bed and a second bedroom with a queen bed. Other features include a bathroom with a stand-up shower, dining area and living room with a fireplace. LCD TVs are in both bedrooms and in the living room. The cabins rent for $179 a night, with a minimum two nights required for Friday through weekends. Guests can take advantage of all the amenities available at the adjacent River Lodge & Grill, including a private beach, on-site restaurant, business center, outdoor pool and hot tub. The cabins will line up behind a paved bike path that hugs the shoreline. Burnt Field Brewing, located in a 1916 train depot, is a short walk away, serving up craft beers, pasta, pizza and salads. Across the street from the brewery is the dry-docked

Courtesy COHO Services The River Lodge & Grill built new riverside cabins next door to its campus at 6 Marine Drive NE in Boardman, Oregon.

tugboat, the Capt. Al James. “Boardman, Oregon, is an untapped attraction with its location, beauty and seclusion. We are excited for you to discover what this town on

the Columbia River has to offer,” said Brett Wilkerson, chief executive officer of COHO Services. To book a stay, go to riverlodgeandgrill.com/cabins.

LIFE

REMEMBERING Celebrate your loved one in our cremation garden. Pre-construction discounts available, for more information call (509) 783-3181.

MuellersFuneralHomes.com

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020 uBRIEFS Social Security streamlines online page

The Social Security Administration has streamlined its retirement benefits online portal. The site helps people learn about and apply for retirement benefits. The upgrade is part of a series of steps to improve the government website. The site is at socialsecurity.gov/ benefits/retirement. The redesigned portal has fewer pages and condensed, rewritten and clearer information. It is optimized for mobile devices. It also includes the ability to subscribe to receive retirement information and updates.

Free lunch for former Hanford workers

Nuclear Care Partners is offering a free picnic lunch and benefit review for former Hanford workers to ensure they receive the benefits they’ve earned through the Covid-19 crisis. Ricki Pederson, local benefits specialist, will visit clients’ homes to provide a free review of their Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, or EEOICPA, benefits. She will bring lunch as well as protective gear to ensure safety. The appointments will be conducted on a porch or some other outdoor space where social distancing can be preserved. The visits cover in-home care, impairment ratings, durable medical equipment, adding a consequential illness to their card and more. The picnic-on-the-porch sessions are available through the end of July. Nuclear Care Partners provides EEOICPA benefits guidance, advocacy and no-cost in-home care to former atomic workers who have developed serious illnesses due to their workplace exposure to harmful radiation and toxic chemicals.

Survey: Patients prefer telemedicine to office visits

Patients prefer virtual visits with doctors to in-person ones, according to a new study released by Doctor. com. The nationwide survey of 1,800 adults found 83 percent will use telemedicine even after the pandemic ends and 55 percent are willing to use telemedicine to see new doctors. “Telemedicine Adoption in the Age of Covid-19 and Beyond” highlights how quickly patients are adapting to telemedicine during the current health care climate, as well as the need for easy, fast and secure telemedicine services in the months and years to come. Full survey results are posted at doctor.com/resources/telemedicine.

Trios moves lab to first floor

Trios Laboratory Services has moved its collection site at the Trios Care Center at Southridge in Kennewick to the first floor from the second. The move creates a full-service outpatient laboratory in a prominent location and allows patients easier access. Trios Medical Group providers are now able to refer their patients for outpatient testing to the new lab. Results will be sent directly to providers electronically. “We are excited to have a more patient-friendly location and provide quality lab services to our Trios Medical Group providers and patients,” said Mindy Aichele, Trios laboratory director. With the move also comes a change in hours. Laboratory services will now operate 7 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. The Trios Care Center at Southridge is at 3730 Plaza Way adjacent to Trios Southridge Hospital.

Terry Frye Physical Therapy Highly effective, individualized treatments using a manual therapy approach

• Your appointments are always with Terry Frye, MSPT • Biomechanical approach to exercise and posture • Certified Gyrotonic™ Instructor • Specializing in orthopedic and sports related injuries

(509) 430-9669 www.TerryFryePT.com 303 Bradley Blvd., Suite 204 Richland, Washington

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

Upscale living for renters taking shape on the Pasco waterfront By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Some of the finest homes in the Tri-Cities line the Pasco riverfront. Soon, renters will be able to call the Columbia River shoreline home too. The first 60-unit phase of a 288unit luxury complex opens to residents in September at 2120 W. A St. in Pasco. Columbia River Walk, named for its intimate proximity to the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, will cater to “middle to high income” renters with units offering river views and upscale amenities such as a clubhouse, pool and spa, dog park, cable and internet service included and a rooftop deck. The building roof is designed to support a solar array as well. It is the first new apartment complex in Pasco in several years and the first in the Tri-Cities to be sited immediately next to Army Corpsowned land on the river. Columbia River Walk is being built by Zepgon Investments, which is led by general contractor Jesus “Jesse” Zepeda. Zepeda is partnering with Rigo Rangel of Tri-Cities Engineering for the ambitious undertaking. Zepeda bought the property about 15 years ago with the intent to develop an income-producing apartment project. The sleepy stretch of West A Street offers easy access to Highway 395 and Road 20 and the Tri-Cities Airport. He built an office and yard for Generations Plastering, the umbrella for his general contracting business, on the site and reserved a parcel on the west side for potential commercial business. “I saw the vision, that it could be an investment,” he said.

Tight rental market

It took time and the right combi-

Courtesy FTI Management Columbia River Walk, a $7 million, 60-unit apartment project at 2120 W. A St., is Pasco’s first new apartment project in recent years.

nation of low vacancy rates and financing to bring it to life. The TriCities’ tight housing market, fueled by more than five years of job gains before the Covid-19 crisis hit, drove up demand for all types of housing along with rents. The Tri-City apartment vacancy rate was 2.5 percent this spring, when the University of Washington Center for Real Estate Research conducted its biannual survey of property managers. The average apartment rent in the Tri-Cities was $1,022 per month. Marcus & Millichap, a national real estate firm, estimates the TriCities needs 500 new units per year just to keep up with demand. ”We just saw there was a need for these,” Rangel said. The development began to take shape in 2018. Zepgon asked the city of Pasco to rezone the site from industrial to residential 3, to allow multifamily construction. The city signed off. It issued permits for the initial 60-unit building, with a construction value of about $7 million, in December. The three-story building will offer six three-bed-

Communication will be our Key to Success! To support my campaign, please visit: www.go4joe.us (Paid for by Committee to Elect Joe Lusignan)

room units, six two-bedroom units and 48 one-bedroom units. Zepgon is seeking a higher density R4 designation for future phases.

‘Good project’ for the city

Rick White, community development director for Pasco, confirmed it’s the city’s first multifamily project in recent years and a welcome addition to the waterfront that could spark more development in the neighborhood. “We think it’s a good project,” he said. The new complex is east of the blue bridge and perched on the popular riverfront trail used by walkers, joggers and bicyclists. It has direct access to the trail across the canal. Zepgon wants to build its own bridge over a water-filled canal behind the levee, subject to Army Corps approval. In the interim, there is a formal access point and parking at the South 25th Avenue trailhead to the west and a casual one at 20th, on the east side of the apartment property. The Pasco Youth Baseball Complex is east of the site, as is the TriCities Animal Control Services and

As your full-time Commissioner, I will always pursue open, clear and inclusive communication between our cities’ and county officials and work together to improve the lives of our citizens.

Shelter facility. Despite the area’s industrial and commercial history, it was ripe for residential development. The area was annexed into the city in 1962 and zoned for industrial use. The city’s comprehensive plan encourages higher density residential development at the area. White called the area a “sleeper” for the city. The shoreline to the west of the blue bridge is dotted with upscale homes, while the stretch to the east is home to a manufactured home park, industrial and low-density residential development.

Pretty views, pretty rents?

Zepeda and Rangel say they intend to own the property rather than sell it once it is built and occupied. FTI Management, a third-party property management company with 1,500 units in the Tri-Cities, will manage Columbia River Walk. The company declined to disclose asking rents but notes vacancy rates at the properties it manages are consistent with the rest of the Tri-Cities – between 2-3 percent. There is nothing directly comparable in the Tri-Cities. However, Kennewick’s Island View apartments are situated near the river, with a view across Columbia Park Trail to Bateman Island. Asking rents are $1,211 to $2,221 per month. The Nineteen, a proposed luxury project in downtown Kennewick, offers a hint at what today’s developers think tomorrow’s higher-income renter will pay to live at prestige properties. Construction isn’t expected to begin until later this summer, but the project advertises onebedroom units with rents starting at $2,150 per month. Columbia River Walk is accepting inquiries for the September move-in. Contact Linda Henjum at 509-7921150 for applications and rental information.

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

Park’s namesake led Manhattan, Pentagon projects By East Benton County Historical Society

Leslie Groves Park in Richland is a peaceful respite from the pressures of the day and an ideal place to socialize at a distance. The Columbia River flows gently by and soaring waterfowl create a peaceful landscape. Its gentle surroundings, peaceful as they may be, are actually named after a man who played a significant role in war, Gen. Leslie Groves. He was an instrumental part in bringing conclusion to the world’s greatest international conflict, World War II. An Army Corps of Engineers officer, Groves essentially headed up the Manhattan Project that led to the creation of the atomic bomb. One was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. The second was dropped on the city of Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, leading to the Japanese surrender, ending World War II that America entered with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. Plutonium used in the Nagasaki bomb had been produced at the topsecret Hanford project, one of many areas of responsibility overseen by Groves, both in land and in production. Amazingly, he was a colonel in charge of another enormous construction project when he was chosen to undertake the role of building its greatest weapon ever at the time. He oversaw the building of the Pentagon, headquarters of the then War Department and now the Defense Department. That in itself comprised 34 acres, 6 million square feet of office space and two parking lots for 8,000 vehicles. It was completed in 16 months and opened to 35,000 occupants on

Jan. 15, 1943. Meanwhile, the Manhattan Project also was underway, and he is credited for its naming. The project was to have been named the “Laboratory for the Development of Substitute Materials.” Groves suggested that mouthful might draw too much attention. Since it was headquartered in New York in the Manhattan Engineer District, he suggested, simply, the Manhattan Project. Groves had the remarkable ability to discern the importance of different influences on the project and how they needed to mesh, including civilian engineers, scientists, contractors and corporations. In the course of his responsibilities, Groves “was responsible for creating and managing a vast network of factories, laboratories, and mines in 39 states, Canada and Africa. “The Manhattan Project entered into agreements with more than 200 prime contractors which employed thousands of subcontractors.” There were thousands who worked on the Manhattan Project throughout its run, peaking with about 160,000 employees in 1944. Groves, who had been promoted to one-star general when he took on the Manhattan Project, knew time was essential. He knew Germany also was racing to build an atomic bomb, a disaster for the free world if accomplished first. He quickly met with representatives of the Army-Navy Munitions Board and the War Production Board, asking for and receiving status for higher priority. He knew this was essential to enhance acquisition of resources. He oversaw the purchase of not only Hanford for the site of plutonium production, but Oak Ridge,

Courtesy East Benton County Historical Society Gen. Leslie Groves led the Manhattan Project and construction of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Richland’s Leslie Groves Park honors his contributions.

Tennessee, to build a uranium processing plant, Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the bomb was to be built, and places in Canada to produce critical heavy water. Groves even sent an officer to Belgium to acquire 1,200 tons of high-grade uranium from a Belgium firm with mines in the then Belgian Congo and in the United States. He sought simultaneously to build and begin operation in conjunction with construction. In one description of his overseeing skills, it was said of Groves: “He directed enormous construction and made critical decisions on various isotope separation, acquired raw materials, directed collection of military intelligence on German research efforts, and later helped select sites in Japan for bombing.” By October 1945, the project cost was $1.8 billion, with some 90 percent of it being used for building of plants and production of fissile

materials. Less than 10 percent went to developing and producing the bombs, according to historical accounts on Groves. He would be decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal by Secretary of War Henry L. Stimpson, and he also would receive the Legion of Merit. He ultimately was promoted to a threestar general. This for a man who once attended Queen Anne High School in Seattle and who was a graduate of West Point. But, more so, because he was a man who helped end World War II sooner rather than later, and who, according to one military aide, was like a government of his own in achieving what he did. “Groves planned the project, ran his own construction, his own science, his own army, his own state department, and his own treasury department,” the officer noted.

Moving?

If you are planning to move, let us know in advance so you don't miss an issue. Call 509-737-8778 or email ads@tcjournal.biz

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

Just for Fun Crossword

Across 1 Continuous dull pain 5 Garage sale warning 9 What Rhett didn’t give 10 Ate sumptuously 12 Alphabet start 14 Cost-of-living measure 15 Electrically charged particle 16 Med. care choice 17 Mint with Retsyn 19 Shed tears 20 Magnitude 22 They might swing 23 Detest 24 Top of the mouth 25 Large flightless bird

Solutions on page 11

26 Crossroads of America 27 1918 pandemic 30 Flight science 33 Have a conniption 34 Singer --- Ronstadt 35 Inquires 36 Ova Down 1 Take --- (try the pool) 2 Exaggerated representations 3 Pinafore’s letters 4 Complete 5 Yemeni seaport 6 Act as a model 7 Looming

8 Sounded 9 Dolphins org. 11 Falls 13 Auction offering 18 Catastrophic occurrence 19 Solicit 20 Bundle of stalks 21 Image recorder 22 Space vehicle 24 Retrovirus material 26 Press fluids 28 Some TV screens 29 This publication is based in part of it 31 Bourbon flavoring 32 Welding method

Word search - Nautical terms Crow’s Nest

Mess

SOS

Beam

Davits

Officer

Stack

Below

Deck

Overhead

Stern

Binnacle

Fall

Port

Thwart

Boat

Ladder

Purser

Bow

List

Ship

SUDOKU SUDOKU

9 4 5 3

3 7

8 7

ToughTough

3 6 9 9 4 4 9 3 43 8 8 2 32 9 4 2 82 8 5 7 87 3 7

7 7 3 6 1 1 9

Sudoku - Tough

EasyEasy

Str8ts - Easy

STR8TS STR8TS

Aft

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

How to How beat to Str8ts beat–Str8ts – To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering Like Sudoku, no single 1 to 9 can repeat inrepeat any row Like Sudoku, nonumber single number 1 to 9 can inmusic any rowcountdown numbers numbers 1 toshow 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 and 3x3 July 4: The radio “American 1 to 9 such that each row, column or column. But... rows and columns are or column. But... rows and columns are box contains every number uniquely. boxKasem contains as every number uniquely. divided by black squares into compartments. 2 1 4 5 Top 40” made its debut, with Casey host. divided by black squares into compartments. 2 1 4 5 Quiz answer from Page 1 Each compartment must form a straight strategies, hints and tips, 4 5 6 3 4 2Richard Each compartment must form a straight - 6President July 9: U.S. Nixon proposed that For many strategies, hints and tips, 5 3For2many a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku Twin City Airport. “Twin Cities” a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be 4 5 the2 U.S. 1 Environmental visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku Congress create Protection in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells 4 5 2and1www.str8ts.com for Str8ts. in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black4cells and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts. about 1906 was a name 3 6 2 1 5 remove that number as an option in that row (EPA). Agency 4 3 6 2 1 5 remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, checkapplied out our to the communities 3 5 2 1 4 27: In Chicago, Sears, Roebuck Co. and column, and are not partJuly of any straight. If you&like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our 3 5 2 1 4books, Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store. of Pasco Kennewick, and 2 1 3 Glance at the solution to seeannounced how ‘straights’ its plan to construct the books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much moreand on our store. tallest building are formed. 2 1 3 are formed. continued so into the 1940s.

ANSWER

Turn Back the Clock...

1970

in the world, to be 1,450 feet high, taller than the 1,350-foot twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.

— Source: East Benton County Historical Museum

Str8ts example

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

AIRPORT, From page 1

will record half its usual business, a striking reversal for an airport that posted back-to-back record boardings in 2018 and 2019. April, the worst month to date, saw air travel collapse. Tri-City boardings fell 95 percent from the prior year. Alaska Airlines flew 432 passengers, Allegiant Airlines 292, Delta Airlines 805 and United Airlines 227. There were no charter flights at all, the airport said in its monthly status report. The four airlines cut flights too. In April, they collectively offered 12,428 seats on outbound flights. That’s down from more than 45,000 in April 2019. Passengers occupied 14 percent of the outbound seats available this April. Travelers began to return in May, but the revival is a long way off. Buck Taft, who manages the airport for the port, said the market isn’t at the bottom, but it’s at the second rung from the bottom.

More hits coming

The hits will keep coming. On Oct. 1, airlines that took federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security) Act funding will be free of the requirement to keep at least minimal schedules through September.

That includes the four carriers who call on Pasco. Penning predicts airlines will drop unprofitable or borderline routes. Some smaller airports in the Northwest could lose all commercial service when that happens. The Tri-Cities Airport shouldn’t lose its commercial connections. The Mid-Columbia, with its heavy contingent of government and business travel, is generally a profitable place for airlines. Route cuts in Seattle and Portland as well as new pricing software could make flights originating in Pasco more attractive to travelers who currently drive to bigger airports for cheaper fares. Taft said the Tri-Cities Airport has performed well in past recessions. He agrees with Penning that opportunists could take a chance on it. “I’m bullish,” he said.

The ‘free agent’

Penning cited SkyWest Airlines as an example of how the Pasco airport could come out ahead and even reconnect to Portland, at least in theory. The so-called “free agent” airline flies regional routes for Delta, United, Alaska, American and others. In May, SkyWest reported a firstquarter profit of $30 million profit on $710 million in earnings, compared to $88 million on $700 million a year earlier. Nevertheless, Utah-

Airport seeks passenger input

The Tri-Cities Airport is inviting those who traveled by air in the last 12 months to complete a survey about their future plans. The survey asks participants to share their thoughts on what will make them feel comfortable about traveling by air again. Go to flytricities.com/psc-passenger-survey.

based SkyWest was the only U.S. carrier to post a profit that quarter, Penning said. But its partners are returning planes. SkyWest flew 55 planes for Delta Airlines, some owned by SkyWest and others by Delta. SkyWest noted the arrangement in its quarterly earnings statement. Penning’s analysis shows SkyWest could end up with as many as 200 airplanes “returned” by the airlines. The company doesn’t want to park its planes or lay off pilots and other crew members. So, it is seeking opportunities to keep flying, Penning said. It is looking for underserved markets where it knows it can make money. It has discussed partnering with Alaska, flying opportunistic routes under the Alaska name.

“If that happened, there could be an opportunity for us to get Portland service back,” Penning said. A spokesman for SkyWest said Penning’s comments were consistent with the company’s public disclosures. SkyWest regularly discusses potential new routes with airports, but it had no announcements to make in early June. “At this point, we’re very focused on maintaining service,” the spokesman said. But Taft, the airport manager, said SkyWest has a history of betting on the Tri-Cities. It previously flew a route to San Francisco under its own name. “SkyWest provides options the mainline carriers may not want to do,” he said. “They could step up for us.”

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

Q&A

ROB MERCER

President Mercer Wine Estates Mercer Ranches

By Senior Times staff

Employees you oversee: 80 How did you come to this kind of work? Family heritage Why did your family settle here? Looked west for economic opportunity, originally raising sheep. How has your approach evolved? From the late 1800s to the late 1960s we raised sheep and then cattle. In 1968 we began irrigating on our farm in the Horse Heaven Hills. The focus shifted to irrigated crops. My father always liked to have diversity in the operation, and he was a believer in vertical integration. We currently have a highly diversified vegetable farming operation, a wine grape vineyard operation, a winemaking business, and a wine selling business – four legs to a solid table. Would you share more about your philosophy of stewardship? My brother Will and I are fourthgeneration agriculturalists and the current stewards of Mercer Estates located in the Horse Heaven Hills of Washington. The first thing I would like to point out about Mercer Estates and the Mercer family is that we take great pride in being agriculturalists. We have been stewards of the same property since 1886. We have a tremendous sense of responsibility in regard to caring for and enhancing the environmental and social value of the land in our care. We are always striving to provide a “life more abundant” for all.

The wines that we produce at Mercer Estates are a reflection of the sense of stewardship, care and pride in our family’s property. We believe our property and Washington state have a unique and valuable place in the great world of wines and we are constantly striving to demonstrate that terroir with a sense of balance. We practice “agricultura in stratera,” a Latin phrase meaning “farming with balance.” Every decision we make, every day of the year, with regards to our agricultural practices, incorporates balance. There is always the possibility of adding too much or giving too little when nurturing a plant to produce its highest quality and most abundant fruit. Balancing the care of the plant today with the care of the ecosystem that it thrives in from year to year always weighs heavily on our minds. As agriculturalists we must at once be considering how any of our management decisions factors in and impacts the long-term health of our crop and our ecosystem. Why do I refer to our family as agriculturalists? Because I am trying to provide a better description of what it means to be involved in agriculture and winemaking today. Being an agriculturalist is extremely complex, exciting, beautiful and even scary. As agriculturalists we have made a lot of technical advances in production, yet, we still work in the great outdoors, next to and within all of the trials, tribulations and complexities of an ever-changing climate and ecosystem. No two seasons are ever the same. We face the same challenges and continuously changing complexities of nature and climate that our ancestors

Rob Mercer have faced for the last millennia. There is no perfect solution to all of those challenges, there is only balance. As with wine, balance is the goal, creating harmony within the ecosystem of our farm is the highest form of art combined with science that we as agriculturalists can accomplish. Is the next generation taking a leadership role in the business? Where do you see them taking it? Currently all three of my children are in college. They all have shown an interest in coming back to the farm

and/or winery. They all have different skill sets so it will be fun to see if they come back and contribute to the family operation. What industry groups are you involved in and why? Current president and board member of the Columbia Snake River Irrigators Association. I believe it is one of the only organizations in the state that is focused on helping farmers to retain their water and water uMERCER, Page 12

Puzzle answers from page 9

Crossword 1 9

A M N

12 14

E 31

M O O D

R O N

H M O

W E

R O O

S I

O N

E M U

Str8ts

Str8ts Solution

G G

34 36

7 8 1 3 5 6 4 2

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

Sudo

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

5 2 4 1 3

4 3

4 8 3 2 5 7 9 1 6

5 7 2 6 1 9 4 3 8

2 1 7 6 8 5 7

11x11 Wordsearch No.307 - Nautical Terms WordUSsearch Sudoku Sudoku Solution

Str8ts Solution B 7E 6L C 8W 7B R M R 1 8 O D E W3A D S 5V 9D N 6 I 4A E T L 4 5 S S F T 2F 3C O T A

O 3 6I B 9 O 7 S C 8 K 5 I D 1 A 2 O

W T8R 9A N5 N9 A C P I S I 7 5 W U S S K8 T5R 6R S6 E7H S C E2D 3O A M T S 3 2 L A H R I E6G 4T B3 B4 S H

W 4L Z 3E X W 2 1E P 8 E 7O 6I

H 5 E2 V 4 N 1 H O 3 G R J T8 P7

T4 O3 B X D2 B1 N7 L 6 L A5 F

7 6 5 3 8 4 1 2 9

3 4 1 7 9 2 8 6 5

2 9 8 5 6 1 3 7 4

1 5 7 4 3 8 6 9 2

6 3 4 9 2 5 7 8 1

8 2 9 1 7 6 5 4 3

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

9 1 6 8 4 3 2 5 7

7 6 5 3 8 4 1 2 9

3 4 1 7 9 2 8 6 5

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

MERCER, From page 11

small farms are going out of business because they can’t afford a fulltime staff of lawyers and HR professionals. It’s scary and unfortunate.

How do you keep your employees motivated? Provide them with the opportunity to succeed at work.

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess? Humility.

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time? Work harder but remember that sometimes leadership means getting out of the way.

What do you consider your leadership style to be? Find good people and let them lead and thrive.

rights, fulfilling a critical place in ensuring the long-term health of farming in Washington state.

What is the biggest challenge facing business owners/managers today? Tort reform. I think this country is going down the road of being run by lawyers and government bureaucrats. Every new rule, new law and or some new edict presents some new opportunity for lawyers to sue business owners and employers. Most

Who are your role models or mentors? Gen. George Marshall, Teddy Roosevelt, George Washington and Patrick Henry.

How do you measure success in your workplace? The knowledge and commitment of our team. I know it’s right when there is harmony within the team, and we are improving our businesses at all levels.

How do you balance work and family life? I think it is important for the kids to see both. Farming isn’t really about working on a clock; it’s about getting the job done when the crops and job require it. When that isn’t required, it’s time to play. What do you like to do when you are not at work? Outdoor exercise, biking, hiking and skiing. What’s your go-to wine? Mercer Bros Cabernet Sauvignon. Where do you take out-of-town guests who want a Mid-Columbia experience? Well for a meal we like to go to LuLu’s at Columbia Point, for wine we go to our tasting room in Prosser and for an agricultural perspective we like to take them for a ride on our carrot diggers. It is always the biggest hit. What’s your best time management strategy? The reminder feature on Outlook Calendar. Best tip to relieve stress? Read a meaningful book. What is your favorite book? “Soldier, Statesman, Peacemaker: Leadership Lessons from George C. Marshall” by Jack Uldrich. He was one of the greatest heroes of American history who was completely selfless and a complete professional in every sense. His leadership courage and style ensured our country’s success in World War II.

News directly to your inbox Subscribe to our e-newsletter at tcjournal.biz

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

9 questions about cranes, Covid-19 and the economy with Lampson By Senior Times staff

Lampson International is the Kennewick-based manufacturer of heavy lift cranes used all over the world. The company employs 300 people worldwide, with offices in the U.S., Canada and Australia, and it has performed work in more than 55 counties in the 74 years that it has been in business. Kate Lampson is the director of communications for the company and also serves on the board of the Association of Washington Business, including its Rebound and Recovery Task Force and its personal protection equipment, or PPE, subcommittee to promote manufacturing of protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic. She shares how her family-owned company has been affected by the global Covid-19 crisis and Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

perform these types of projects. What makes the Lampson Transi-Lift unique is its ability to move Kate Lampson forward, backward and sideways in a crab-like configuration while picking and carrying a load. These particular cranes range from 350 US Ton to 3000 US Ton and perform work all over the world. How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected Lampson? Lampson International was fortunate that due to the types of customers that we have and the industries that we service, we were deemed an essential business in the beginning of the pandemic. We have been able to remain with our doors open and business per usual.

Tell us about Lampson International and its history. The company was founded in 1946 by my grandparents Neil and Billie Jane Lampson. It is third-generation family-owned and operated. My father, Bill Lampson, is the current president and chief executive officer, and my brother Peter Lampson and I work closely with him every day in management roles.

Who are your customers and how are they reacting? We have customers in the energy sector, health care industry, agriculture community, emergency services, transportation and logistics and the defense industry to name a few. Although some of these industries may have slowed, our customers continue to move forward with projects of various types.

What types of projects are Lampson cranes used on? What makes your cranes unique? Lampson cranes are deployed for refinery work within the oil and gas industry, infrastructure projects including bridge construction and new stadium construction, the building of power plants, work at various ports both domestic and international and offshore refinery work. We typically use our proprietary product, the Lampson Transi-Lift to

Do you/they anticipate a slowdown? With regard to heavy lift projects specifically, we have seen a few projects put on hold. However, the majority of our heavy lift projects remain unaffected. How did the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order affect Lampson? We have ensured that our office and shop facilities are in compliance with the governor’s Stay Home, Stay

Through season of change you have kept your promise of love, honor and respect. Dementia has brought change, but your commitment remains strong. Let us help you to continue to love, honor and respect during this challenging season.

509-783-5433

5505 W. Skagit Ct., Kennewick, WA

Courtesy Lampson International Lampson International manufactures Transi-Lift cranes which are used around the world on heavy industry projects.

Healthy mandate and are continuing to follow those guidelines. Did you have to lay off or furlough employees? No, as an essential business we

did our best to keep everyone employed and busy during this difficult time. uLAMPSON, Page 15

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

Lamb Weston pulls back curtain with first-ever sustainability report By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The region’s largest potato processor sheds new light on french frymaking in its first-ever corporate sustainability report. Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. issued its 2020 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report on June 2. In it, the Eagle, Idaho-based company describes its corporate and environmental goals, the steps it is taking to meet them and the progress it has marked to date for the first time. Lamb Weston became an independent, publicly traded company in 2016 when it spun out of ConAgra Foods. “This report highlights work that Lamb Weston has always believed in – operating with integrity to support the long-term sustainability of our business,” said Tom Werner, chief executive officer, in an introduction. Corporate sustainability reports are issued by companies interested in telling investors and the public about their non-financial goals around governance, environmental stewardship and corporate philanthropy. Lamb Weston joins Pacific Northwest icons such as Costco Wholesale Inc., Microsoft Corp., Amazon, Starbucks Inc., Nike Inc., Paccar Inc., Nordstrom Inc., Weyerhaeuser Co. and Precision Castparts Corp. that issue corporate sustainability reports, often called CSRs. Lamb Weston, which reported $3.8 billion in revenue in 2019, is one of the largest and most diverse companies operating in the Mid-Columbia. It has a corporate office in Kennewick, a research and innovation center in Richland, a 20,000-plus acre farm near Paterson and production facilities in Boardman, Connell, Hermiston, Pasco, Paterson, Quincy, Richland and Warden. It employs more than 2,500 people in the area.

The company report card notes it set a goal to cut water and power use by 10 percent and to divert all waste from landfills in 2016, the year it separated from ConAgra. By 2019, it had reduced the amount of water and energy it takes to produce a pound of potatoes by 4.7 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively. It diverted 86 percent of its waste from landfills, in part by reinventing the bags frozen potato products ship in to be recycled with boxes and paper. The company said it has saved 3.4 million kWh of electricity, 104.5 million gallons of water and diverted 21,496 tons of materials from landfills. It avoided 3,330 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and realized $5.6 million in savings and avoided costs. The report coincides with a global pandemic that has chilled demand for the company’s products. Lamb Weston informed the Washington Employment Security Department it would temporarily lay off 360 workers in Connell and 300 in Warden beginning June 15.

Cutting water, power, waste

Lamb Weston’s french fry plant in Hermiston is cited as an example of extreme water savings. The plant reclaims wastewater from processing and puts it through anaerobic and aerobic processes, as well as reverse osmosis, filtration and sanitation. The reclaimed water meets the legal standard for use in food manufacturing. Hermiston reuses the cleaned water. The approach allowed Lamb Weston to add a new processing line without using any added water. The $250 million line boosted the plant’s capacity by 300 million pounds. It opened in 2019 and added 150 jobs. Its Boardman East plant is another example. Lamb Weston received the U.S.

Courtesy Lamb Weston Lamb Weston is known for its frozen french fry products but it also produces shredded potatoes, diced potatoes formed potatoes (hash browns and Tater Puffs), chips, mashed potatoes, appetizers and vegetables.

Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) at Boardman for an aggressive energy savings program. Boardman East uses 23 percent less power than the industry benchmark for a plant its size, according to the report. Its first LEED project is in Delhi, Louisiana, where waste from the sweet potato plant are converted to biogas in an anerobic digester. The biogas system reduces the plant’s demand for natural gas to power systems. The closed-loop system made Delhi the first frozen food production facility to earn “platinum” certification, the highest-level LEED. Lamb Weston said it reinvented how its ships products based on feedback from customers. It developed recyclable Tite-Pak bags, which can be recycled with boxes and paper. Washington State University and Michigan State University, which both serve Lamb Weston products in their cafeterias, tested the new packaging on their campuses.

100 Circles Farm

Lamb Weston runs the 20,000-acre 100 Circles Farm near Paterson, south

of Kennewick. The farm produces about 10 percent of the potatoes Lamb Weston processes into french fries, with the balance cultivated by the 100-plus farmers who hold contracts to grow potatoes on 170,000 acres 100 Circles, led by Troy Emmerson, is far more than a potato farm. It is an experimental farm where Lamb Weston tests new technology and techniques to conserve resources while maximizing yield. And it gives the company insights into the challenges its farmer-partners face in their own fields. 100 Circles grows root crops, vegetables and raises dairy cows. Byproducts from crops go into dairy feed. Manure is spread on the field crops. The farm incorporates crop rotation, pest management, minimal tillage and other steps to meet its sustainable agriculture goals.

What’s in a potato?

Lamb Weston is known for its frozen french fry products. It also produces shredded potatoes, diced potatoes formed potatoes (hash browns and Tater Puffs), chips, mashed potatoes, appetizers and vegetables. But the humble potato is at the heart of most of its products. The company reports it has made progress on reducing the resources it takes to grow a potato. In 2019, it took 0.8-acre inches of water, or 21,700 gallons, to grow a ton of potatoes, 11.7 pounds of nitrogen and 3.6 pounds of active ingredient pesticide. There are about 5,400 Russet potatoes in a ton. Russets are the most grown potato for french fries. The 56-page report can be downloaded at bit.ly/LambWestonCorporateResponsibility.

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

What were your thoughts on producing personal protective equipment? We specialize in the manufacturing of extremely large pieces of equipment and it takes large machines to make these components. In order to pivot to making the type of PPE that is required to help fight the Covid-19 virus, we would need much smaller and much

uBRIEFS Ballots will be mailed soon for August primary

The Benton County Auditor’s Office is launching Act Early, Vote Safely as it prepares to mail ballots for the August primary. Primary election ballots go out in the mail Wednesday, July 15, while ballots for military and overseas voters were mailed Wednesday, June 17. All ballots must be returned or postmarked by election day to count. The auditor encourages citizens to check their status early to ensure they are registered and/or their information is up to date and correct. Washington voters can register to vote, check their status, and make necessary updates at votewa.gov.

Nursing homes can’t claim individual impact payments

Nursing homes and other care facilities are being warned that federal economic impact payments to individuals belong to the recipients, not the organizations that provide care. The Internal Revenue Service issued the alert in June over concerns that people and businesses may be taking advantage of vulnerable populations who received the payments through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act. The payments are intended for the

more precise machining tools to do this job. It did not make sense for us to pivot. Although we did not participate as a company in pivoting to make PPE, we are longstanding members of the Association of Washington Business and I serve on the AWB Rebound and Recovery Task force as well as the PPE subcommittee. It has been a great experience working with other manufacturers around the

state to help provide businesses with the resources they need to safely reopen and to reopen as soon as possible. Business owners who are interested in finding resources for reopening their locations can go to reboundandrecovery.org to learn more.

recipients, even if a nursing home or other facility or provider receives the person’s payment, either directly or indirectly by direct deposit or check. Payments do not count as a resource for purposes of determining eligibility for Medicaid and other federal programs for a period of 12 months from receipt. They also do not count as income in eligibility for these programs. Payments do not count as resources that have to be turned over by benefit recipients, such as residents of nursing homes whose care is provided for by Medicaid. The payment is considered an advance refund for 2020 taxes, so it is considered a tax refund for benefits purposes. Additional information can be found at irs.gov/eipfaq.

sites are available through portofkennewick.org on the Columbia Gardens and Clover Island pages.

Kennewick wine village adds three food trucks

Three food trucks are joining Swampy’s BBQ and Rollin’ Fresh Ice Cream at the Port of Kennewick’s Food Truck Plaza. The plaza is part of the Columbia Gardens Urban Wine and Artisan Village off East Columbia Drive, west of the cable bridge. Ninja Bistro and Don Taco have joined the lineup. Ann’s Best Creole & Soul Food will arrive by the end of June. Ninja Bistro serves up Asian fusion cuisine while Don Taco offers authentic Mexican fare. The individual trucks set their own days and hours. Links to their

Do you have this card? 336 ick, WA 99 0, Kennew St. Ste. 30 n ai or 21 M . 38 100 N (509) 491care.com omeHealth ChinookH

Because there is no place like home

(509) 491-3821

ChinookHomeHealthcare.com

Are you a former or current Hanford employee who is dealing with work related illness or exposure? You may qualify for quality care delivered by our caring professional staff. Call today for your free assessment.

What is the status of the huge crane stored at the Port of Pasco? This crane is owned by Hitachi

Tri-City businesses asked to take Open and Safe pledge

The Tri-Cities Open and Safe Coalition has launched a regionwide initiative to support and recognize local businesses when Benton and Franklin counties are eligible to move to Phase 2 of the Covid-19 recovery. The coalition compiled resources available through the BentonFranklin Health District on a free website, tcopenandsafe.com. Business owners will find information about keeping their establishments in compliance with reopening regulations. They also can sign the Open and Safe pledge to signal their intent to protect workers and customers as they work to restore the economy. The website features a map of the businesses that take the pledge to boost consumer confidence. The effort is sponsored by the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tri-City Development Council and Visit Tri-Cities.

Transport Limited. They were due to take delivery of it back in 2012, but with the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, they asked us to keep it here in the United States. For now, we are storing it for them at our test facility in Pasco. We continue to exercise it on a regular basis. Hitachi is expected to take delivery in Japan in spring 2020 at its Oma Nuclear Power Plant site.

Richland taps former employee as next leader

A former Richland educator will return as the district’s next superintendent. Shelley Redinger, who led the Spokane School District for the past eight years, is the district’s new choice to succeed long time superintendent Rick Schulte, who is retiring. Two prior picks did not pan out. Redinger taught at Jefferson Elementary and was later appointed principal at Sacajawea Elementary and then Richland’s Director of Teaching & Learning before she departed to pursue leadership opportunities. She has served as principal for Oregon Trail School District in Sandy, Oregon, and for a school district in Virginia. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education at Washington State University. She went on to earn a master’s and doctorate in educational administration at the University of South Carolina.

Need cut

LAMPSON, From page 13

SENIOR TIMES • JULY 2020

uBRIEFS Act now to protect property from wildfires

The Kennewick Fire Departments is reminding area residents that it’s time protect homes and property at risk from wildfires, typically those in wildland urban interfaces on area hillsides. Though 2020 has been wet and moderate through mid-June, conditions are right for an active fire season like the one that claimed five homes in south Kennewick in 2017. Our area contains light flashy fuel, and fires will occur again, the department noted. The production of embers from these fires are a signifi-

cant cause of homes catching fire. Creating a defensible space around homes and property can reduce or eliminate the possibility of your home catching fire from the fast-moving fires that occur in our area. Reduce risk by: • Cleaning seasonal debris out of gutters • Clearing away leaves and needles in the 0-5 foot “immediate zone” around the house • Moving flammable material such as mulch, flammable plants, firewood piles, etc. away from exterior walls • Removing anything flammable stored underneath decks or porches Additional information concerning Defensible Space is available on the

Fire Departments website at go2kennewick.com/fire.

Badger Mountain steps are complete

The city of Richland has completed a long-delayed series of steps at the entrance to Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve. The city launched the project to replace uneven basalt steps leading out of Trailhead Park in south Richland. The $40,000 project was only partly complete, leaving a steep section closed to visitors. The city announced the new steps were finished in mid-June. Trailhead Park is at Queensgate

Drive and White Bluffs Street. The separate Skyline Trail hike begins at Dallas Road south of the Interstate 182 overpass.

Covid-19 forces Kennewick’s Bookworm to close

The Kennewick Bookworm store announced plans to close July 15 “due to the ever changing Covid-19 pandemic.” The independent bookstore at 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd. made the announcement on its Facebook page May 20. “Since January 2019, business has been booming and we had many future plans for the store. The store closing is strictly due to the fact that we had to close down and had a near complete loss of revenue,” the store posted on Facebook. The owners are selling everything in the store, which offers used and new books and gifts, at discounted pricing, including bookcases. Customers may shop by appointment only. The one-hour appointments may be made by calling the store at 509-735-9016. “It has been our sincere pleasure to offer excellent customer service to our loyal customers and we hope we were successful in this endeavor. It has been our joy to serve this community for the last 46 years and our customers will be greatly missed,” the store said on Facebook.

e l i m s r u o Y s s e c c u s r u is o

Our office is open! Columbia Basin Denture Care Call for an appointment

(509) 586-4350 7233 W. Deschutes Ave. Suite E, Kennewick