Senior Times - March 2020

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SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

MARCH 2020 Volume 8 • Issue 3

Former Tri-Citian of the Year retires after 40 years of practicing law

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Kennewick museum highlights achievements of pioneering women Page 6

Meet the Kennewick Man and Woman of the Year Page 9

Growing clinic sees spike in number of kids affected by too much screen time Page 16

MONTHLY QUIZ In 1926, Varney Airlines commenced the first contracted air mail service with a route from Pasco to Elko, Nevada. Varney went on to unite with other small airlines to create which airline that still flies out of Pasco today?

Answer, Page 13

Fran Forgette stepped out of the room during the 2001 Tri-Citian of the Year banquet, unaware he was the guest of honor.

The speaker dragged out the introduction until a very surprised Forgette returned.

Nearly two decades later, Forgette still laughs at the memory. Ever since, he’s cautioned friends to keep their seats if they attend the banquet, in case they turn out to be the year’s honoree.

Forgette recently gave up one of his many seats when he retired from his law practice at the end of 2019, capping a 40year career that Fran Forgette saw him take a role in almost every aspect of the community from business to civic.

He retains posts on several boards but said he is giving himself six months of breathing room before he considers a second chapter.

He is, he said, open to ideas and inquiries.

For Forgette, being named Tri-Citian of the Year was both an honor and welcome chance to show the legal profession in a positive light.

The award, the Tri-Cities’ highest honor, doesn’t just reflect on the winners. It’s a moment to pause and mark the community’s accomplishments and the contemplate what is still to be done. uFORGETTE, Page 3

Courtesy Kadlec Regional Medical Center / Veronica Denslow Virginia “Ginger” Sather, 98, reported to Camp Hanford during World War II. She committed to four months. She stayed for 80 years and counting. Sather wants the community to remember the Day’s Pay effort that helped raise money to build a new building for Kadlec Medical Center in 1970.

98-year old remembers Day’s Pay campaign that helped build Kadlec

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Hanford workers gave up a day’s pay in 1944 to buy a B-17 Flying Fortress for the Army Air Forces.

A less known fact: Hanford workers were rallied to support a civic effort again 1970. This time, they were asked to contribute to a new building for what was then called Kadlec Methodist Hospital in Richland.

Hanford retiree Virginia Sather—Gin-

ger to her friends—wants to make sure the second day’s pay effort doesn’t pass unnoticed as the hospital comes off its 75th anniversary celebration in 2019.

Sather, 98, arrived in Richland as a young woman to work for DuPont at the Public Exchange at Camp Hanford in the early days of the World War II. She committed to four months. She worked at Hanford for 40 years, working in positions across the site, including at N Reactor. uDAY’S PAY, Page 2

Benton County breaks ground on $13.6 million admin building

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Benton County is tapping its $24 million capital projects fund to build sunlit offices for its administrators and free up space in its crowded Kennewick courthouse.

The county held a public groundbreaking ceremonies for the $13.6 million, 40,000-square-foot office building on Feb. 17 at its Kennewick justice center campus, 7122 W. Okanogan Place.

The building will open in May 2021 as the new Kennewick home for the county commissioners and administration, as well as the Kennewick offices of the

county treasurer, assessor and auditor.

The county’s official seat in Prosser is not affected by the addition, said Matt Rasmussen, public works administrator.

The addition will free space in the Benton County Justice Center and the nearby Canal Street Annex for the criminal justice system, which is out of space due to growing court dockets. Prosecutors, public defenders and the clerk’s office all need more room, Rasmussen said.

With administrators out of the way, they’ll have more of it.

“It will be exclusively criminal justice in here,” Rasmussen said. uADMIN BUILDING, Page 5

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She figures she’s one of the few—if any—workers left who remember being asked to donate a day’s pay when the hospital outgrew its old barrackslike quarters. Kadlec had to raise local funds to qualify for government dollars.

To her, it seemed natural that Kadlec would enlist Hanford workers. A generation earlier, Hanford Engineering Works employees donated a day’s pay, raising more than $300,000 to buy the bomber christened Day’s Pay. “It worked with the airplane. Why don’t we try it for the hospital?” she said. “So they did and it worked.”

So once again, Hanford workers were asked to give up a day’s pay.

Sather and her husband, Bob, also a Hanford worker, signed the paperwork. She doesn’t recall the amount that came out of their paychecks. She wasn’t one to save pay stubs, she said.

She did save the souvenir she received for signing up—a small plaque honoring their participation in Kadlec’s “TARGET ’70” community fundraising campaign.

A document glued to the back acknowledges the gift from “Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sather.”

The president of the Kadlec Medical Center Foundation, A.M. Waggoner, signed it.

Kadlec’s own account of its history confirms the community support that made the new building possible. Donors names are highlighted on a plaque in one of the hospital’s waiting rooms.

Sather visited the hospital to share her story. A photographer recorded the occasion.

The TARGET ’70 campaign was led by the widow of the hospital’s namesake, Lt. Col. Harry Kadlec. Kadlec, the officer, was deputy area engineer and chief of construction for the Army Corps of Engineers—one of the top officials involved with the Hanford project. He was also the first to die at the hospital following a heart attack reportedly brought on by overwork.

The community campaign raised $1 million. The four-story building with 138 beds and an entrance on Swift Boulevard opened on April 7, 1971.

The hospital has expanded since then, but the four-story building is still a part of the complex.

Sather experienced the hospital firsthand as a patient more than once.

An independent spirit, she hailed from Des Moines, Iowa. Her mother, who shared her spirit and had her own car long before women dreamed of driving, died of breast cancer when Sather was 10.

Sather’s relationship with her father was difficult and inspired her to seek out ways to live independent of him and of Iowa.

When she finished high school,

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Virginia Sather, 98, of Kennewick remembers the 1970 day’s pay campaign that helped raise money to build a hospital for Kadlec Medical Center.

counselors told her girls got married and college was for boys.

She rejected the notion, choosing adventure with friends and a romance with a tall man who would join the Air Corps and perish when his bomber was shot down over Germany.

In time, she found her way to Southern California, following a friend who told her it was booming for the war effort and jobs were plentiful. Sather had trained as a welder. In California, she went to work in a Navy hospital near Los Angeles.

The desert was dusty, but she enjoyed the jaunts into town to see shows.

Gasoline was scarce but doctors usually had the means to travel and it wasn’t hard to find rides.

She wasn’t interested in leaving, but her friend enticed her to consider moving to Alaska for another project on another job. The project was iced for bad weather. The recruiter suggested the two young women consider Hanford instead.

Sather had traveled a bit after high school, but Washington was fresh territory for her.

The offer appealed to her. If workers stayed for four months, the company would pay their return fare. She decided to give Camp Hanford four months.

Her friend lasted four months. Fate had other plans for Sather.

In a camp where men vastly outnumbered women, she met Robert Sather. He was 6-foot-3 and handsome enough to be mistaken for a movie star.

The couple married. Sather didn’t initially want to take her husband’s name and only did so reluctantly when her job was threatened. “You can’t do that!” was one of her husband’s favorite sayings. “Thank God I was born in America!” was another.

The couple qualified for a prefabricated house, but disaster struck on a cold December day when an electric fire broke out. Sather, who was home, fled with a drawer containing keys and other important items.

Her hands were blistered, and her

hair burned. She was taken to the government hospital that would eventually become Kadlec.

That wasn’t her only visit. An ectopic pregnancy led to a ruptured appendix and other complications. She was rushed to the hospital again. The hospital’s three surgeons worked to save her life. Hanford workers with the same blood were summoned for transfusions —there was no blood bank then.

The Sathers would in time adopt a son and build a home in Kennewick, overlooking the Columbia River above what is now Columbia Park.

They didn’t expect to remain in the Tri-Cities beyond World War II. Both anticipated layoffs when the war ended, but instead they were transferred from job to job until both retired in the 1980s. Sather, always ambitious, was always looking to advance.

She enrolled in night courses at Columbia Basin College when it first opened, taking shorthand, typing and any business class she thought would help her move up. She’d moved to Richland as a young adult to work for DuPont in the Post Exchange at what was then Camp Hanford during World War II. Her clear eye for detail and sharp memory have attracted attention of those working to record the history of Hanford’s early days. The Hanford History Project, an initiative of Washington State University Tri-Cities, conducted a detailed interview to record insights into early life and operations of the nuclear reservation.

Sather was widowed in 2015 when Bob suffered the last in a series of strokes following 71 years of marriage.

Today, she lives in the house they built with an orange tabby named Kitty Cat that once kept Bob company. She has congestive heart failure and uses a walker to get around.

She is unsparing in her assessment of outliving her husband, friends and siblings.

“It’s sad,” she said. “All my friends are gone. It’s a very lonely business.”

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020 uBRIEFS Benton County deposits $740K in wrong account after falling for scam

Benton County reports it was the victim of a phishing scam that led it to deposit more than $740,000 in an incorrect bank account in late 2019.

Fortunately for the county, the bank froze the account shortly after the deposit, but not before $23,000 had been taken out.

The county said it was asked to update the payment information for a contractor working on county construction projects in October.

In November, after receiving legitimate invoices, it deposited the money in the account. It discovered the scam in December.

Federal authorities have seized FORGETTE, From page 1

Nominations are now open for the 2020 Tri-Citian of the Year, which is given for “service above self.” The award was first given in 1962 and is an annual tradition, save for a gap during the 1970s when it was inactive.

If, or when, Forgette takes up the next chapter, it will not entail practicing law. When he retired, he relinquished his license. His name will remain on the Kennewick firm he joined after graduating from the Gonzaga University School of Law—Rettig Forgette Iller Bowers.

In the interim, in true Forgette fashion, he remains chairman of two boards—the Association of Washington Business board and the Washington State University Tri-Cities advisory council.

Both echo decades of commitment to the Tri-Cities that began simply enough with a job hunt in the late 1970s.

A Seattle native, Forgette went to the University of Washington and then studied law at Gonzaga. He graduated in 1977. His hometown was struggling economically and there were no jobs for lawyers.

Forgette opted for the Tri-Cities after reading that it was one of the fastest-growing economies in the country in that year’s Tri-City Herald.

He suspected he would enjoy it but figured that worst case scenario, he would pay off student loans working here.

The job worked out, and then some. Forgette and his wife, Debbie, raised two sons, now adults living in Seattle.

Forgette said he enjoyed the diversity of his Tri-City practice. In a larger market he would have had to specialize, but here, he was able to

the $717,000 left in the account after it was frozen. Benton County said it is working with authorities to have the seized money returned.

It has not identified a suspect.

The county has paid the invoice of the actual contractor. The theft occurred as the county was transitioning to new administrators following the retirement of its longtime manager. It said it is reviewing internal policies and procedures to avoid being vulnerable to similar scams.

Kennewick seeks volunteers to help plan schools The Kennewick School District is asking volunteers to provide input as it updates its strategic plan.

The plan guides academic and operational priorities in the coming

do everything from estate and family law to business.

And he had a hand in just about every important civic venture.

He led the Save Our Dams effort to protect the lower Snake River Dams from environmentalists demanding their removal—a fight that has been revived in recent years.

When he learned one of his sons’ teachers was spending his own money on classroom equipment, Forgette established Adopt-A-Disk, which funneled donations from businesses to local elementary schools to support technology. At its peak, Adopta-Disk touched every primary in the four Tri-Cities.

He served as volunteer counsel for the Tri-Cities Development Council, or TRIDEC, then joined the board.

After 15 years and two terms as chair, he stepped off as the longest-serving board member at the time.

He lent his professional and volunteer support to the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, a collaborative effort of the three area hospitals. The community, he said, wanted to see the hospitals collaborate.

years and serves as the benchmark for measuring the district’s performance toward meeting its goals.

Superintendent Traci Pierce will host planning sessions from 6-7:30 p.m. March 18 and 24 at the school district’s administration center, 1000 W. Fourth Ave. Prospective participants should register for one.

Visit ksd.org/News/The-LatestList/Strategic-Planning-InputSessions or information or contact spokeswoman Robyn Chastain, 509222-7424.

WSU seeks to fill library with Mattis’ favorite books

Washington State University TriCities is accepting donations to stock a new library with the 100 titles James Mattis said influenced He helped lead efforts that led to the establishment of the WSU Tri-Cities campus in Richland and has remained involved ever since.

WSU has played a larger role in his adult life than his actual alma mater, UW, he said.

The 2020 Tri-Citian of the Year will be announced at the April 23 banquet at the Three Rivers Convention Center.

Submissions are due March 14.

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his military career.

The books will be available to students through the General James Mattis Leadership Library in the WSU Tri-Cities veterans’ center.

Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general and President Donald Trump’s first Secretary of Defense, made the point that reading is important to leadership in his own recent book, “Call Sign Chaos.”

The aim of the campaign is to stock at least one copy of each of the 100 books Mattis included on his recommended reading list.

Local author C. Mark Smith is leading the fundraising effort.

Go to tricities.wsu.edu/give to make a donation and for a list of Mattis’ picks

Mail-in nominations must be postmarked by March 11.

Recent honorees include real estate executive Dave Retter, builder Don Pratt, restaurateurs Steve and Shirley Simmons and Columbia Center manager Barbara Johnson.

Nomination forms, reservations for the events and a list of past winners are available at tricitianoftheyear.org. Call 509-783-7107 for details.

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SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Bring your grandchildren and families to events with a star.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10

• Alzheimer’s Series “Effective Communication Strategies”: 2-4 p.m., Kadlec Healthplex, 1268 Lee Blvd., Richland. Contact: 509-943-8455. Free

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11

• The Moneta Project Memory Café: 8-10 a.m., 1834 Fowler St., Richland. RSVP: 509-735-1911 or smcdonald@seniorliferesources.org. Free

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

• Mid-Columbia Arts Fundraiser: 6-11 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Go to: mcmastersingers.org.

• WSU Master Gardener Fever: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., WSU Tri-Cities, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland. Go to: extension.wsu.edu/benton-franklin/gardening/ mastergardeners/

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

• Community Lecture Series “What Happened to America’s Public Schools?”: 7 p.m., Richland Public Library, 940 Northgate Drive, Richland.

Contact: 509-542-5531. Free

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

• Mid-Columbia Symphony: Salute to Youth: 7:30 p.m., Richland High School Auditorium, 930 Long Ave., Richland. Go to: midcolumbiasymphony.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20- SUNDAY MARCH 22 • Custer’s Spring Arts & Crafts Show: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 20; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

March 21; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 22, HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco. Go to: custershows.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

• The Moneta Project Memory Café: 8-10 a.m., 1834 Fowler St., Richland. RSVP: 509-735-1911 or smcdonald@seniorliferesources.org. Free

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

• Community Lecture Series “Women and the Humors in Shakespeare’s Plays”: 6:30 p.m., Richland Public Library, 940 Northgate Drive, Richland. Contact: 509-542-5531. Free

SATURDAY, MARCH 28

• St. Petersburg Piano Quartet: 7:30 p.m., Columbia Basin Performing Arts Theatre, 2600 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Go to: cameratamusica.com

SUNDAY, MARCH 29

• Richland Seniors Association Pie Auction Fundraiser: 1-3 p.m., United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties, 401 N. Young St., Kennewick.

Contact: 509-380-8437.

TUESDAY, MARCH 31

• Memory Cafe: 10 a.m. to noon, Richland Public Library, 940 Northgate Drive, Richland.

Contact: 509-542-5531. Free

THURSDAY, APRIL 2

• Cancer Crushing Breakfast, a fundraiser for the Tri-Cities Cancer Center: 7:30 a.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Contact: 509-737-3373.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8

• The Moneta Project Memory Café: 8-10 a.m., 1834 Fowler St., Richland. RSVP: 509-735-1911 or smcdonald@seniorliferesources.org. Free

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

• PNNL Community Lecture Series “Soils are Alive!”: 7 p.m., Mid-Columbia Libraries, 1620 S. Union St., Kennewick. Contact: 509-542-5531.

Free • Alzheimer’s Series “Healthy Living for Your Brain & Body”: 2-4 p.m., Kadlec Healthplex, 1268 Lee Blvd., Richland. Contact: 509-943-8455. Free

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

• The Moneta Project Memory Café: 8-10 a.m., 1834 Fowler St., Richland. RSVP: 509-735-1911 or smcdonald@seniorliferesources.org. Free

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SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020 ADMIN BUILDING, From page 1

Prosser is still the county seat

The new office building is not an attempt to move the county seat to Kennewick from Prosser. But it acknowledges that some 80 percent of county business transpires in Kennewick, the population center. The additional space should accommodate growth for the next two decades.

It’s also not about mindless expansion of local government, Rasmussen said.

Population growth is driving up the number of cases heard in the superior and district courtrooms in the justice center.

“The commissioners have always been very big proponents of maintaining the smallest footprint,” he said.

An 18-month facilities study concluded a new administration building would create a more welcoming environment for people who have business with the county while reserving costly secured space in the justice center for the courts.

The project is funded through the county capital projects budget, which is supported by the general fund and payments the county receives from the federal government in lieu of property taxes.

The budget works out a little more than $286 per square foot, which includes finishes and furnishing space.

That is generally in line with construction trends.

The base cost to build “prime” office space in Seattle in 2019 was $210 to $255 per square foot, excluding finishes and furnishings, according to a year-end report by Rider Bucknell Leavett, a construction management firm.

RBL reports on construction cost trends in major markets such as Seattle. Tri-City data wasn’t available.

Who goes where?

Rasmussen said the new addition in Kennewick will make more efficient use of existing county facilities and lower the cost to provide much needed office and courtroom space at the Benton-Franklin Juvenile Justice Center on Canal Drive.

The treasurer, auditor and assessor will vacate their shared 8,500-squarefoot office at the Canal Drive Annex.

The offices can be renovated to serve the juvenile center, which is on the same property.

The 252,000-square-foot Benton County Justice Center in Kennewick houses district and superior courts, prosecutors, defenders and the jail, which is why it has security guards and a metal detector at the entrance.

About one-fourth of the building is devoted to the commissioners and other administrators who don’t need that level of protection.

Courtesy Benton County Benton County broke ground Feb. 17 on a $13.6 million administration building at 7122 W. Okanogan Place in Kennewick for the county commissioners, administrators and the offices of the assessor, treasurer and auditor.

work on the 23-acre Kennewick justice center campus. They’re posted to the justice center and jail, the health department, the coroner’s office and in a maintenance facility.

The 85 who now work at the annex will add to the population, which also includes roughly 500 jail inmates.

Parking is the main limiting factor for additional development. Rasmussen said there’s room to develop another 20,000 square feet of space once the office building is complete.

It would have to build a parking garage to build more.

Rasmussen said there are no plans to add a coffee shop or other commercial activity on the property.

Past efforts to provide food and beverages at the county property didn’t take off and the neighborhood is packed with restaurants, fast food and other public services.

Paying for the project

Courtesy Benton County Benton County’s $13.6 million administration building is designed around a central atrium that will bring sunlight into interior areas at 7122 W. Okanogan Place in Kennewick.

They’ll move to the new building, which Rasmussen hastens to note will have passive security built into the design. There won’t be a screening station at the door at the outset.

Rasmussen said the space crunch in the justice center has real implications for the courts.

The county recently launched a new specialty court to serve veterans charged with crimes. Qualifying veterans who get treatment and meet other conditions can get their records expunged.

Three authorized positions haven’t been filled because there’s nowhere to put them, Rasmussen said.

Veterans court is funded by the Public Safety Sales Tax, a voterapproved sales tax to combat crime.

The county’s current budget earmarks $400,000 from the public safety tax to support seven positions in veterans court.

The building design includes a central atrium, shared ground-floor lobby and energy efficient features.

The parking spots nearest the building will be dedicated to shortterm visitors who stop by to register to vote, pay taxes, register vehicles and take care of other county business.

The justice center campus

About 750 county employees

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The new administration building will bring new operating costs in terms of added utilities and maintenance. In its six-year capital projects budget, the county noted some costs would be offset by lowering Benton County’s share of operating costs at the Canal Street annex.

When the annex becomes part of the bicounty juvenile justice system, the county will split operating costs with Franklin County.

The new building will even eliminate one pesky expense—the $80,000 Benton County spends annually to store archived documents off site.

The basement was added to provide storage and speed up access to stored public documents. It will pay for itself in 10 years, Rasmussen said.

Banlin Construction LLC of Kennewick is the general contractor.

MMEC Architecture & Design of Kennewick, which conducted the facilities study, is the designer.

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SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

Kennewick museum highlights achievements of pioneering women

By East Benton County Historical Society

The women of Benton County are pioneers creating a blueprint for modern women in a wide range of fields.

Many women were active not only at home but in their communities as leaders, teachers, workers and professionals.

The new #Herstory exhibit at the East Benton County Historical Society and Museum in Kennewick recognizes those accomplishments across the county, from the first homesteaders to the most recent pioneers in science, government and the military.

The exhibit, which is expected to be on display through the end of April, includes profiles of such local leaders as: • Gladys Vickers helped farm and ranch the Horse Heaven Hills and trained female pilots.

• Lydia Beste was one of the original shopkeepers in the community.

She contended with modernization transitioning from saddles to automobile tires and was actively involved with the community in arts and culture, setting up music groups and so-

cial clubs.

• Pat Cochran was a community activist and social organizer for the county. She co-owned the Women’s Resource Center. She was a manager for the Richland Chamber of Commerce and executive director for the Tri-City Campfire Council. She helped found the Head Start Program and the Community Action Committee, among other social organizations.

Come learn more about the 19th Amendment, the local League of Women Voters, the Equal Rights Amendment and the role of women in the county.

This exhibit is on display for a limited time.

Watch films by pioneering female directors in the Benton Theater in March, including the first female filmmaker, Alice Guy Blache.

We also will have films from one of the most prolific film directors of early the film industry Dorothy Arzner, who was also one of the earliest LGBT directors.

In the Vinyl Listening Lounge, we also will celebrate female artists like Patsy Cline, who died in a plane crash

March 5, 1965, and was one of the first successful women to crossover from country and western into pop music. Her eight-year career had several hits including her most memorable songs, “Crazy” and “I Fall to Pieces.” We encourage guests to come and explore the over 4,000 pieces of vinyl available to listen to in our vast collection.

March is also a last Courtesy East Benton County Historical Society and Museum call for artists for the upcoming ReInvintage Art Gladys Vickers helped farm and ranch the Show. This exhibit, comHorse Heaven Hills and trained female pilots in the area. She’s one of several women ing in April, will feature in Benton County featured in the #Herstory art from local artists made exhibit on display through April at the East from repurposed and recyBenton County Historical Society and Mucled items. The show will seum in Kennewick. be curated by local artist Neva Scott of Richland. end of Keewaydin Park in downtown Submission deadline is March 15.

Kennewick. It is open from noon to Call the museum at 509-582-7704, or the Neva Scott Gallery in Richland at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Admission for seniors is $4; $5 for 509-946-4478 for more details.

The East Benton County Histori- adults; $1 for children ages 5 to 17; cal Society and Museum is at the east and free for those under 5.

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

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Tri-City Herald parent company files for bankruptcy

By Senior Times staff

McClatchy Co., the longtime parent of the Tri-City Herald and three other Washington dailies, has filed for bankruptcy.

McClatchy and its 53 subsidiaries filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. District for Southern New York on Feb. 13. Chapter 11 allows companies to restructure or eliminate debt as they reorganize and continue to operate.

The company’s 30 local newsrooms, including the Tri-City Herald, Tacoma News Tribune, Olympian and Bellingham Herald, are not immediately affected.

“This restructuring is a necessary and positive step forward for the business, and the entire board of directors has made great efforts to ensure the company is able to operate as usual throughout this process,” said Kevin McClatchy, chairman of the board and great-great grandson of the company’s founder, James McClatchy, in a press release announcing the bankruptcy.

“We are privileged to serve the 30 communities across the country that together make McClatchy and are ever grateful to all of our stakeholders­ subscribers, readers, advertisers, vendors, investors and employees—who have enabled our legacy to date. We look forward to the continued success of such an outstanding group of colleagues long into the future.”

McClatchy is seeking approval from its secured lenders, bondholders and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for its restructuring plan, which includes replacing existing debt with new and exchanging debt for a 97 percent equity stake in the company.

The deal ends the McClatchy family’s control of the company and places it in the hands of a hedge fund, Chatham Asset Management Inc.

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Courtesy SVN Retter & Co. Pasco investors recently spent $3.9 million to buy the 102,000-squarefoot Tri-City Herald building on 333 W. Canal Drive in Kennewick. They plan to transform the downtown building into multi-tenant office space.

McClatchy shares have been formally delisted by the NYSE American stock exchange.

McClatchy was widely expected to declare bankruptcy after it missed a mandatory $124 million payment to its pension plan amid negotiations with creditors. Congress excluded it from a relief bill that would have extended the payment period.

The $530 million it owes Pension Guarantee Corp. is its largest unsecured debt, according to its petition.

The company listed assets between $500 million and $1 billion and up to $10 billion in liabilities.

At one point, the Tri-City Herald’s payroll topped 200 people. But steep declines in advertising and other revenue coupled with the company’s debt

prompted stark cuts that trimmed the staff to fewer than 30 today.

The paper has long occupied offices and production facilities at the corner of West Canal Drive and North Cascade Street in downtown Kennewick.

Until last fall, it owned the complex from which it produced the region’s newspaper of record.

A Pasco builder bought the property for $3.98 million on Oct. 18.

As part of the deal, the newspaper agreed to lease a portion of the first floor for its roughly 25 employees for an additional 10 months. The buyer, D9 Construction Inc., plans to subdivide the 40,000-square-foot offices for lease to multiple tenants. It has not announced a tenant, and the Herald has not announced where it will move when the lease is up.

The Herald is a daily online newspaper but stopped printing a Saturday edition in November. An electronic version is available online.

For a detailed breakdown of the conditions that led to the bankruptcy, go to tri-cityherald.com/news/nationworld/national/article240139933. html

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8

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

New fund raising up to $10M to back promising Tri-City companies

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A Richland business incubator that provides space and mentoring to startups is adding a critical new tool to its lineup—money.

Fuse SPC, a unique social-purpose corporation with offices on The Parkway, has launched the Fuse Fund with a goal of raising $2.5 million to invest in young, local companies. The fund is capped at $10 million for legal purposes.

The fund, operated by Fuse Advisors LLC, expects to invest in a Kennewick tech company and a Richland food startup.

The Fuse Fund board is led by Marty Conger, who retired last year as chief financial officer for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and a team of serial entrepreneurs: Brett Spooner, Ron Boninger, David Lippes and Megan Chalk.

Collectively, the board brings deep expertise in accounting and finance, scrutinizing investments and turning ideas into successful ventures.

Fuse Fund will invest between $75,000 and $150,000, with a cap of $250,000 on follow-up investments. It assigns mentors to coach its companies.

To date, six companies have ap-

proached Fuse Fund and four have made formal pitches.

Conger isn’t ready to announce investments but confirmed it has made conditioned offers to two. Both are fast-growing Tri-City startups that have broken into their respective markets and have paying customers.

The fund is less concerned about the industry than the location. It invests in the Tri-Cities—defined as Benton and Franklin counties.

Conger said the investment board is attracted to companies led by a team with drive and passion to succeed and a market for their product.

If entrepreneurs have great ideas and passion but thin business résumés, Fuse SPC can help them become investor ready.

The Port of Benton helped kick off the fund in 2018 when it awarded Fuse SPC a $254,000 grant to create a local seed fund, saying it would lead to investments in more than 25 small businesses in the first years.

The grant paid for legal fees, website development and development of investment documents, among other pre-launch costs.

Fuse began soliciting accredited investors last summer—those with $1 million or more in assets and an

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Photo by Wendy Culverwell Marty Conger, chairman of Fuse Advisors LLC, is leading an effort to establish a seed fund dedicated to helping promising Tri-City businesses.

annual income of $200,000 or more, or $300,000 for married customers.

The minimum investment is $50,000, though about a third invest more.

The fund, which is wholly owned

by Fuse SPC, takes the position of general partner. Investors come on as limited partners in Fuse Advisors.

The fund is capped at $10 million to stay below the level required to register as a security. Conger expects to close the fund later this year.

Investing in emerging businesses is risky and Fuse Fund describes itself as being at the high end of the riskreward scale.

However, it notes that comparable undertakings typically deliver returns in the two- to three-times range over eight to 10 years but there are no guarantees.

The fund’s mission is to support local entrepreneurs.

Proceeds from investments are split 80-20 between investors and Fuse SPC, which takes an administrative fee.

Conger said 20 investors, including the Tri-City Development Council, have committed $1.3 million to date.

It has registered another $300,000 from “probable” investors.

With the exception of an Arizona investor with Tri-City ties, the investment capital comes from Tri-Citians, though it doesn’t have to be.

“I’ll take money from anywhere,” Conger said.

David Lippes, a real estate investor and serial entrepreneur, is an investor and board member as well as business coach to one of the fund’s target companies.

Lippes said Fuse Fund will provide the much-needed third leg of developing a business—growth capital.

Fuse already provides real estate in the form of its coworking space in

Richland and support in terms of its mentoring and training program. With the fund, it can help young businesses leverage local investment dollars.

“This is the last major piece,” he said.

Fuse Fund invests in young and emerging businesses, not startups.

It isn’t seeking would-be entrepreneurs daydreaming about quitting their jobs to pursue an idea. Rather, it targets existing businesses that have outgrown their startup capital, typically gifts and loans from family and friends.

“The question becomes whether they’ve raised $100,000 or $2 million that way, they’ve worked through that capital. Where do they go next?” Lippes said. “If you live in the Tri-Cities, the answer is usually somewhere that is not the Tri-Cities.”

Fuse Fund is positioning itself as a partner rather than one-stop shop. It provides some, but not all, the funds a business may seek.

The Washington Department of Commerce said its options to support young business are limited, but it confirmed it’s a barrier to entrepreneurs who are too young to qualify for traditional bank support.

The state’s StartUp Washington website offers links to funds: startup. choosewashingtonstate.com/resources/funding.

For information about investing in the fund or learning more about pitching a business to the investment committee, contact Marty Conger at conger.marty@gmail.com. Go to fuse. fund for more information.

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

Meet the Kennewick Man and Woman of the Year

By Senior Times staff

Two of Kennewick’s fiercest advocates have been named the city’s Man and Woman of the Year for 2019.

Rick Corson, retired Benton County coroner and a dedicated volunteer, was named Kennewick Man of the Year.

Marie Mosley, Kennewick city manager known as much for her volunteerism as for her public role, was named Kennewick Woman of the Year.

Corson and Mosley were honored at the annual Kennewick Man and Woman of the Year banquet awards Feb. 24 at the Three Rivers Convention Center.

The awards are given annually by Soroptimist International of Kennewick-Pasco and the Kennewick Past Men of the Year Club to residents who have served the citizens of Kennewick.

Corson’s volunteer credits are almost too numerous to list.

Through the Kennewick Kiwanis children’s program, he established and coordinated the Ignite Mentoring Program and has dedicated many hours to supporting vulnerable youth.

Corson created the football program at Kennewick’s Amistad Elementary, using it as a platform to educate children about the ideals of teamwork, fitness and hard work.

“My friend Rick’s selfless devotion to the youth of this area is aweinspiring and the indelible impact he has had as a role model and mentor has touched so many children’s lives providing positive lasting results,” Tim Doyle wrote on the nomination, with an assist from Vel Wright.

In addition to serving as a leader

in Kiwanis, he is active in his church and has led several initiatives to support the Tri-Cities Cancer CenRick Corson ter, including the Men’s Club, the HAPO Golf Classic and Run for Ribbons.

Corson supported the community throughout his professional life as well.

He began his career in 1971 with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, rising though the ranks to be undersheriff. He formed his own agribusiness, then joined Columbia Basin College, where he worked as a mental health specialist.

He later served a term as Benton County coroner before retiring in 2010.

Corson and his wife Shanna are grandparents to nine and greatgrandparents to three.

Marie Mosley is a Tri-City native who was named Kennewick city manager in 2011.

She is in effect the city’s chief executive officer, overseeing the dayto-day challenge of providing police, fire, planning, development, parks, utilities and hundreds of other services to the city of 80,000 residents.

She has spent nearly 37 years in the public sector, where she promotes the concept that municipal government plans an integral role in shaping communities.

The nomination, written by Kennewick police Chief Ken Hohenberg and retired Councilman Paul Parish, noted that her first act as city manager was to lead development of the

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city’s motto, “Leading the Way.” “Marie has always approached her public service role with it beMarie Mosley ing a privilege to serve our friends, families, neighbors, visitors, partners and businesses. She also inspires the citywide team to serve with the same attitude of appreciation,” Hohenberg and Parish wrote.

Mosley served on the board of United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties, including chairing the board in 2014 and 2015.

Some of the organizations where she has taken leadership positions include Hanford Communities, the Joint Coliseum Advisory Board, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Cancer Crushing program, the Tri-City Development Council, the Tri-City Metro Drug Tax Force board, Benton County Emergency Services, the Bicounty Police Information Network, the Trios Foundation board, South Hills Church and the Washington City/County Management Association board.

Mosley and her husband John live in west Kennewick and have several grandchildren.

9

uBRIEF Department of Commerce launches new, improved Retirement Marketplace

The Washington State Department of Commerce has launched the new Retirement Marketplace, a one-stop website that helps owners of small businesses and individuals comparison shop for retirement savings plans.

All plans on the marketplace are from private financial firms that have been verified by the state Department of Financial Institutions.

Plans have no administrative fees to employers.

“Employers that offer a retirement savings plan benefit are more competitive in recruiting and retaining the best employees,” said commerce Director Lisa Brown in a news release. “The Retirement Marketplace removes barriers and allows easy access to retirement savings plans for business owners and workers. When people are better prepared to live comfortably in retirement, it strengthens communities and local economies.”

In addition to bolstering their benefit package, businesses also can lower their tax burden by making deductible employer contributions to employee accounts.

An individual’s account balance is charged no more than 1 percent in total annual fees, or $10 a year for a $1,000 balance.

Go to retirementmarketplace. com for more information.

10

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

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

Most of Pasco’s senior services programs take place at the First Avenue Center, unless otherwise listed. Activities, times and location subject to change. For more information, call 509-545-3459.

• Basin Wood Carvers: 1-3 p.m.

Thursdays. Cost: Free.

• China Painting: 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. Bring your own project and supplies.

• Cribbage: 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.

• Drop-In Snooker: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cost: $1 per day. No class Feb. 17.

• Mexican Train Dominoes: 12:30-3 p.m. Mondays. Free.

• Pinochle: 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays.

• Enhance Fitness: Class focuses on stretching, balance, low impact aerobics and strength training.

10-11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Call 509-545-3456 to register. Location: Pasco City Hall

Activity Center, 525 N. Third Ave., Pasco. No class Feb. 7 and 17.

• Foot Care for Adults (18+): Get your feet cared for by a licensed, registered nurse from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays by appointment only. Cost: $30. Call 509-545-3459.

• Happy Feet Foot Care (60+): Get your feet cared for by a licensed, registered nurse from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays by appoint-

ment only. Cost: Free with suggested donation of $12 to $15 per person. Clients must meet federal and state guidelines for eligibility. Call 509-545-3459.

• Meals on Wheels lunch: 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Cost: $7.45 (18-59 years), $3 (suggested donation 60 years and older). Reservations required 24 hours in advance. RSVP: 509-5435706.

Prosser Senior Community Center 1231 Dudley Ave., Prosser • 509-786-2915 • cityofprosser.com

All activities are at the Prosser Senior Community Center unless otherwise listed. Activities, times and locations subject to change. For more information, call 509-7862915.

• All-you-can-eat breakfast: 8-11:30 a.m. the last Sunday of each month. Location: dining room.

Suggested donation: $6 adults, $3 for those 8 and younger.

• Bingo (18+): 9:30 a.m.

Wednesdays. Location: dining room.

Three cards for $1.

• Bingo at Night (18+): 6 p.m. second Friday of the month. $10 buy-in.

• Birthday Celebration: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. third Friday of the month.

Call 509-786-1148 to verify.

Location: dining room. Provided by Meals on Wheels. Suggested donation of $2.75.

• Enhanced Fitness: 2-3 p.m.

Mondays and Wednesdays.

Location: dining room. Free.

• Foot Care Wednesday: For

appointment, call 509-303-0079.

Fill out foot care application for assistance at center or $25 for private pay.

• Mahjong: 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Location: living room. Free.

• Meals On Wheels: 11:45 a.m.

Monday through Friday. Location: dining room. Suggested donation of $2.75. For reservations, call 509786-1148.

• Pinochle: 5:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Location: living room. Bring potluck dish to share. Free

• Billiards: Noon to 3 p.m.

Mondays and Tuesdays. Free.

• Tai Chia Quan: 6 p.m.

Mondays; beginners first Monday of month; 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays open practice for club members. Location: dining room. Call: 509-430-1304 • Wellness Class: 10:30 a.m.

Mondays and Thursdays. Taught by Cheri Eisen of Sirius Therapeutics.

Location: living room. $4 per session for members, $5 for others.

Call 509-497-1154.

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

All activities are at the West Richland Senior Center. For more information, call 509-967-2847.

• Potluck Lunch: noon, second Tuesday of the month. Bring a dish to share.

• Bingo: noon, third Monday of the month. Hot dog luncheon at noon. $3 suggested donation.

• Pinochle: 1 p.m. Mondays.

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

• TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Fitness: 11 a.m. Thursdays.

• Exercise: A co-ed, light cardio class, led by exercise video, is 9 a.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays. A donation of 50 cents for members and $1 for others is requested.

The Senior Times is filled with local news, finance and health information, events and more focused on those 60 and older.

Subscribe today!

Visit srtimes.com or call (509) 737-8778

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

11

Keewaydin Community Center 500 S. Auburn St., Kennewick • 509-585-4303 • go2kennewick.com

All activities are at the Keewaydin Community Center unless otherwise listed. Activities, times and location subject to change. For more information, call 509-585-4303.

• Bingo Bash: 1-3 p.m. Tuesday,

March 17. Cost: $5 in advance, $8 at the door.

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

• Bunco Party: 1-3 p.m. Fridays.

Cost: $1.

• Bunco Tournament: 1-3 p.m.

March 6. Cost: $5 in advance, $8 at the door. For more information, call 509-585-4304.

• Chinese Mahjong: 1-4 p.m.

Wednesdays. Cost: $1.

• Creative Palette Art: 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. Cost: $2.

• Dominos: 12:30-2 p.m.

Tuesdays and Fridays. Cost: $1.

• Indoor Walking: 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday. Cost: $2 per day. Location: Numerica Pavilion, Southridge Sports

Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

• Pinochle: 4-8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (first, third and fourth Thursdays only).

Cost: $1.

• Woodcarving: 1-3 p.m.

Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to noon Fridays. Cost: $1. Bring supplies or borrow from the class.

Richland Community Center 500 Amon Drive, Richland • 509-942-7529 • ci.richland.wa.us

All activities are at the Richland Community Center unless otherwise listed. Activities, times and location subject to change. For more information, call 509-942-7529.

• ACBL, Duplicate and Party Bridge: Various groups. For a schedule of each group, cost and location, call 509-942-7529.

• Birthday Club Social: noon to 12:30 p.m. second Tuesday of each month. Location: lounge. Cost: free.

• Cribbage: 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Wednesdays. Location: lounge.

Free.

• Fitness Room: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; noon to 4 p.m.

Sunday. Cost: $2 per day or $8 per month.

• Billiards: Daily. Cost $2.

• Foot Care for Fabulous Feet: Have a licensed registered nurse specializing in geriatrics care for your feet 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Thursdays. Location: wellness room. Cost: $30. For an appointment, call 509-942-7529.

• Greeting Card Recycling: 9-11 a.m. Mondays. Location: meeting room. Free.

• Golden Age Pinochle: 5:308:30 p.m. Fridays. Location: game

room. Cost: $1.

• Dominoes: 1 p.m. Thursdays.

Location: lounge. Cost: free.

• International Folk Dancing: 6:45-9 p.m. Thursdays. Location: Riverview room; 6-9 p.m. the first Saturday of the month for a potluck and dancing. Location: activity room.

• RSA Dance: 1-4 p.m. third Friday of the month. Location: Riverview room. Cost: $7 per person.

12

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

Vulcan Inc.’s HR director maintains Tri-City ties EDIT This inaugural Senior Times feature, Tri-City Connections, will be a series of occasional profiles of Tri-City natives and former Tri-Citians who have excelled in the world.

If you have one in mind, let us know at info@tcjournal.biz.

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Hanford drew Tim Mulligan’s family to the Tri-Cities. His grandparents worked at the site.

His parents met in high school in Richland and Mulligan followed them, graduating from Hanford High School before heading to Pullman to study hospitality at Washington State University.

He’s gone on to make his hometown proud.

His hospitality career led him to law school, success in one of the nation’s largest hotel chains, a top job at the San Diego Zoo, and now Vulcan Inc., the Seattle holding company for many of the late Paul Allen’s real estate, sports and philanthropic efforts.

Along the way, he wrote an influential book about building resilient organizations and was named CRO magazine’s Chief Human Resources Officer of the Year for 2016.

Mulligan returned to the Tri-Cities on March 7 to headline the Point to Success brunch, a fundraiser to support business education at the Carson College of Business at WSU Tri-Cities.

Mulligan lives in Seattle now, but he’s kept his Cougar connection front and center throughout his career.

His own career started with Star-

wood Hotels and Resorts, a holding of Marriott Corp.

The freshly minted WSU grad joined the hospitality giant in a management post at the Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square, in the very heart of the city.

It was, he said, a big, complicated operation with employees represented by unions.

Seeing his future in human resources, Mulligan decided he needed a law degree and headed back to Washington state, where he earned a J.D. at Gonzaga University School of Law. He even returned to the Tri-Cities, though briefly. He spent about two years working on labor and employment in a local law firm before moving again, this time to Seattle.

He advised hospitality students at the WSU branch campus in Everett and returned to Starwood.

After a series of promotions, he was managing the company’s Southern California properties.

An unexpected call changed his path.

A headhunter asked if Mulligan would be interested in the nonprofit sector.

The San Diego Zoo was looking for a human resources chief, part of a mission to overhaul its culture and Tim Mulligan transform the zoo into the nation’s best place to work.

The timing was right. The Mulligans were adopting two children.

“I thought it would be great to raise a family and have the kids grow up at the zoo. I took it,” he said.

He entered with a mission to help the zoo become not only a good place for its animal residents, but a great place for its human workers. In 2010, the CEO put him in charge planning for a year-long centennial celebration.

For five years, he delved into all aspects of the zoo—operations, marketing, animal care. The job went well beyond human resources, and Mulligan had a ball.

The success formed the basis for “ROAR: How to Build a Resilient Organization the World-Famous San Diego Zoo Way,” which Mulligan cowrote with Sandy Asch. It came out in hardback in 2016 and paperback this winter. It is available through Amazon and can be ordered through bookstores.

The centennial celebration and the success of “ROAR” would bring national attention, speaking engagements and the Human Resources Officer of the Year honors.

The attention brought another unex-

uBRIEFS Crushing Cancer breakfast set for April 2

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation holds its 20th annual Cancer Crushing Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, April 2 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

There is no cost for the breakfast, but attendees are asked to consider making a financial contribution. The 2018 event raised a record $110,421.

Reservations are due by Thursday, March 19. Call 509-737-3373 for information.

Network aims to enhance care for sepsis survivors

Hospitals across Washington state are joining together to change the odds for sepsis survivors. The new Sepsis Treatment and Recovery, or STAR Network, is providing hospitals and post-acute care facilities, with access to real-time information on sepsis sur-

pected call.

This time, a headhunter wanted to know if Mulligan would return to Seattle. Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc. needed a chief human resources officer.

The caller asked if he’d be interested in working for Allen, co-founder of Microsoft.

Vulcan carries out the varied endeavors of its founder—philanthropic, corporate and civic, including the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trailblazers.

Allen died not long after Mulligan signed on, in October 2018.

His death from cancer prompted mourning and introspection in the complicated organization he left behind.

He helped revise its vision statement, to make and leave the world a better place, and pared back projects that didn’t fit.

It sold projects that didn’t fit within the new mission.

“We are a more focused company moving forward now,” he said.

Mulligan’s parents have passed away but he maintains contacts with cousins and old friends.

He said he loves to bring his family to visit in the summer.

Waterskiing, tubing and being on the Columbia River are favorite family activities, as is visiting wine country.

And like a certain other prominent Richland native (We’re thinking of you, retired Gen. Jim Mattis), no visit home is complete without a stop at Uptown Plaza for a treat.

“My family loves Spudnut,” he said. vivor care events to improve outcomes and long-term recovery for sepsis survivors.

Each year, more than 19 million people develop sepsis, a life-threatening condition that is the result of the body’s extreme response to an infection. The long-term effects of sepsis recovery can result in multiple hospitalizations.

The STAR Network will focus on four strategies to improve care for patients with sepsis and reduce the number who need to return to the hospital after their first visit: • Rapidly identifying and treating sepsis and septic shock.

• Educating patients and families about the special care they will need to fully recover.

• Working to ensure providers outside the hospital have the information they need to treat patients after sepsis.

• Recognizing and quickly treating physical and cognitive problems that develop after sepsis.

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020 uBRIEF

Meals on Wheels March menu

 For more information about Senior Life Resources Northwest, go to seniorliferesources.org.

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© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

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The Richland Seniors Association is holding a pie auction to benefit Tri-City seniors who can’t afford hearing aids.

The auction is from 1-3 p.m.

Sunday, March 29 at the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties, 401 N. Young St., Kennewick.

Cost is $15, which includes free slices of homemade pies, ice cream and a beverage. There also will be an opportunity to bid on pies.

This event is the first fundraiser for the RSA Sound Barrier Initiative. The group has committed an initial contribution of $1,000 toward a goal of $15,000 to help medically-qualified and financiallylimited seniors obtain quality hearing aids.

In association with Columbia Basin Hearing Center and the international nonprofit Starkey Hearing Foundation, qualifying seniors may obtain hearing aids for $250 a pair.

The RSA initiative will step in to provide assistance for those who need it.

Contact Sharon Feser at shammey55@yahoo.com or 509-3808437 to buy tickets, confirm attendance and/or sign up to donate pie.

white bean chili, cornbread and fruit cocktail.

• Tuesday, March 24: Lemon pepper cod, white rice, pea and cheese salad, bread with margarine and cranberry oat bar.

• Wednesday, March 25: Chicken and rice casserole, glazed baby carrots, bread with margarine and chocolate cake.

• Thursday, March 26: Baked ziti, broccoli, tossed salad with dressing, breadstick and mandarin oranges.

• Friday, March 27: Scrambled eggs and peppers, sausage patty, chuck wagon potatoes, bran muffin with margarine, yogurt and berries.

• Monday, March 30: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, tossed salad with dressing, bread with margarine and chocolate pudding.

• Tuesday, March 31: Chicken alfredo, Italian vegetables, breadstick and peaches.

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© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

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Pie auction to raise money for hearing aids

9

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© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

• Friday, March 6: Dijon chicken, sweet potatoes, peas and onions, bread with margarine and cherry oat bar.

• Monday, March 9: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, broccoli, bread with margarine and fruit cocktail.

• Tuesday, March 10: Teriyaki chicken, fluffy rice, oriental vegetables,

bread with margarine and pear crisp.

• Wednesday, March 11: Pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, coleslaw, mandarin oranges and oatmeal cookie.

• Thursday, March 12: Shepherd’s pie, spinach salad, wheat roll with margarine and peaches.

• Friday, March 13: Beef lasagna, mixed vegetables, tossed salad with dressing, bread with margarine and brownie.

• Monday, March 16: Herbed chicken with mushroom gravy, au gratin potatoes, tossed salad with dressing, bread with margarine, yogurt and berries.

• Tuesday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day. Corned beef with cabbage, herb roasted potatoes, carrots, dinner roll and frosted cake.

• Wednesday, March 18: Chili, mixed vegetables, tossed salad with dressing and cinnamon roll.

• Thursday, March 19: Beef tacos, refried beans, lettuce and tomato, salsa, sour cream and citrus salad.

• Friday, March 20: Birthday day.

Roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, Italian vegetables, roll with margarine and ice cream.

• Monday, March 23: Chicken and

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Meals on Wheels is a program of Senior Life Resources Northwest and is supported by donations. For those 60 and older, the suggested donation is $3 per meal. Meals may be purchased by those younger than 60 for $7.45. Menu substitutions may occur.

For reservations, call between 9 a.m. and noon the day before your selected meal. For reservations in Richland, call 509-943-0779; Kennewick: 509-585-4241; Pasco: 509-543-5706; Parkside: 509-545-2169; Benton City: 509-588-3094; Prosser: 509-7861148; and Connell: 509-234-0766.

The Senior Dining Café at 1834 Fowler St. in Richland serves soups, sandwiches and salads without a reservation. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 509-736-0045.

How to How beat to Str8ts beat–Str8ts – To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering Solutions on page 15 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering Like Sudoku, no single 1 to 9 can repeat any row Like Sudoku, nonumber single number 1 to 9 caninrepeat in any row numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 or column.

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2 Mar. 2: American Airlines’ Each compartment must form a straight For many strategies, hints and tips, 6 4 5 3 2 Each compartment must form a straight For many strategies, hints and tips, 4a 5Boeing 3 2 747. a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be first flight6 of visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be4 5 2 1 visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells 4 5 2and1www.str8ts.com for Str8ts. in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in blackMar. cells 6 212th 4 3 11: 1 5Grammy and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts. remove that number as an option in that row 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, check out our 3 5 2 1 4 Awards: Aquarius, Crosby answer fromoutPage and column, and are not part of any straight.

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Turn Back the Clock...

1970

13

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.

ANSWER

Mar. 18: Two-week U.S. postal strike begins; it is against the government and is the largest wildcat strike in U.S. history.

— Source: Franklin County Historical Society

Str8ts example

14

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

uBRIEFS One Wendy’s closes, another opens in Pasco

Spokane-based Wenspok Resources LLC, owner and operator of Wendy’s restaurants in the Northwest, closed a Kennewick outlet on Feb. 15 as it prepared to debut its newest location on Road 68 in Pasco.

The closure of the Wendy’s at 3115 W. Clearwater Ave. comes shortly after the 2,419–square-foot

restaurant with drive-thru was sold.

S Square One paid $800,000 for the site, according to Benton County property records. Whitten Properties was the seller.

Employees of the closed business were offered positions at other Wendy’s restaurants in the area, including the new Pasco location.

The new restaurant opened Feb. 28 at 5706 Road 68.

Wenspok operates 53 Wendy’s locations.

“The Tri-Cities community has

2020

TIMES EXPO

Tuesday, April 21 9 a.m. − 3 p.m.

Numerica Pavilion, Southridge Sports & Events Complex 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick

FREE ADMISSION Visit booths to learn about products, services and ideas for better senior living.

Enter drawings, pick up freebies and fill out the “Hunt for the Treasure” contest to win prizes!

always been a supportive community and as it continues to grow and evolve, we want to make sure we are meeting the community’s needs,” said Jenn Robson, vice president of business operations.

The newest Wendy’s boasts a 58-seat dining room, Wi-Fi bar, fireplace, kiosk ordering and a patio.

Annual Health and Safety expo set for April 21-22

This year’s free annual Health and Safety Expo is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 21-22 at the HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd. in Pasco.

The event includes displays, personal protective equipment fashion shows, distracted driving and vehicle accident demos, bike and forklift rodeos, free bicycle helmets for children and a walking and texting maze.

For more information, call 509308-4962.

Women’s health, aesthetics clinic opens in Kennewick

Rachel Gorham-Fidino, an advanced practice registered nurse, opened New U Women’s Clinic to offer comprehensive health and primary care and aesthetic services in Kennewick.

Gorham-Fidino has more than

eight years of clinical experience with expertise in breast cancer risk assessment, hereditary cancer syndromes, cancer genetics, cancer prevention and more.

The practice team also includes Patricia “Annie” Neuman, a physician assistant who will provide primary care and diabetes management, Rochelle Wilcox, an aesthetic nurse specialist, and Adrianna Boehler, master aesthetician.

The clinic opened in February at 35 S. Louise St., Suite A120, in Kennewick. Call 509-491-1944 or go to newuwomensclinic.com for information.

Artistry in Wood juried show coming to Kennewick The Tri-Cities Wood Carvers Association holds its 26th annual Artistry Wood Juried Show and Sale the weekend of March 14-15 at TriTech Skills Center, 5929 W. Metaline Ave., Kennewick.

The program includes a guest carver and demonstrations.

Exhibit and sale hours are 9 a.m.5 p.m. Saturday, March 14, and 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 15.

Find the group on Facebook for more information.

Welcome home to

The Grove

NEW 55+ community in the heart of Kennewick. This 23 lot community has prefabulous homes

by Clayton. Energy star certified, low maintenance, high quality and AFFORDABLE! For more information, call (509) 737-8778 or visit srtimes.com

(509) 551-7910 | north-44.com

5707 W. Quinault Ave., Kennewick, WA

15

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

Access to Tri-City health care could stand to improve For several years, the greater TriCity economy has been firing on most cylinders. Median household income has climbed 11 percent in the past five years. Local income is, and has been, higher than the U.S. median for several years, unique among Eastern Washington metros.

Wages, as measured by the annual average, have gone up 14 percent over the same period. The two counties employed nearly 15,000 more in 2018 than in 2014. What’s not to like?

Well, maybe trying to see a doctor. Unlike the economy, the health care sector cannot boast of high performance in securing access to a medical provider. Consider BentonFranklin Trends data on the share of adult population with a primary care provider. In 2018, that share stood at 71 percent. This was below the Washington state rate of 75 percent. Over time, the rate in the two counties has typically been below that of the state. And noteworthy is that the share has actually declined since 2012.

A hallmark of health care reform is to provide a “medical home” for patients, anchored by a primary care provider. In 2018, this home didn’t exist for nearly 30 percent of local residents. Where might these patients receive care? A common “solution” is the emergency departments of hospitals. Another, with various providers at an outpatient facility. Yet another, not seeing any providers at all.

How might we unpack this trend?

Access to services depends on many factors. An obvious one is the ability to pay for services, usually through health insurance. How do residents of the greater Tri-Cities fare on insurance?

As Trends data reveals, not so well. After some improvement after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the number of residents without health insurance has risen by more than 7,000 in the last three years. Or, the rate of

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those without insurance has gone up from 8.4 percent in 2016 to 10.5 percent in 2018. As the data shows, D. Patrick Jones the steepness Eastern Washington of this University increase runs counter to GUEST COLUMN experiences of the state and the U.S. Both have witnessed only a slight increase.

The rate in the two counties now stands at four percentage points higher than Washington’s, and 1.5 points higher than the nation’s.

Why this rise? As the data shows, the experience here isn’t too different from that of the state or county.

It’s just more pronounced. One likely cause is the repeal of individual mandate. Another is the diminished funding for outreach. In the end, it is hard to have a primary care provider if one doesn’t have insurance.

Insurance status affects demand for medical services. The number of doctors (and more generally of all patient-focused occupations) affects the supply of services. Trends data shows a gain of 28 physicians in the past five years in the two counties. That’s 5 percent and it may seem like a lot, but it is well below the population growth of for those five years, 8 percent.

As a result, “physician density” in the two counties remains low.

The current ratio of physicians per 1,000 residents, 1.9, is less than half of state average! And the comparison to Washington has actually gotten worse over time.

Why might this have happened?

One reason is obvious—the greater Tri-Cities has gained quite a few new residents. The population’s five-year compounded annual growth rate stands at 1.7 percent.

Franklin and Benton counties rank fourth and seventh, respectively, among all Washington counties for population growth. The more people, the greater need for providers.

The second reason lies in the tight spigot of Washington-trained doctors (as well as nurses and other primary care providers). The number of graduates at the University of Washington stood at 222 in 2018, a number unchanged for several years. Yakima’s Pacific Northwest University has helped fill the gap, with 137 graduates in 2018, nearly double from 2015.

There is even more change on the horizon for physicians. The Elson Floyd School of Medicine at Washington State University should graduate its first cohort in 2021, numbering 60, and will grow to 80.

Both PNWU and WSU are likely to yield a high percentage of students who may stay in the state and for that matter the eastern side.

What are the consequences of constrained access to care? One lies in hospitals finance. Per Washington state law, hospital must accept any patient who shows up at

their doors, regardless of their ability to pay. Uncompensated care from these patients is known as charity care. This type of care among the four hospitals in the two counties nearly doubled between 2015 and 2018, from $22.7 million to $42.6 million.

Another consequence is that overall health suffers. As Trends data reveals, suicides, both levels and rates, have climbed over the same interval. So have adult obesity and youth obesity rates.

A robust economy, for sure. But there’s much work to be done in providing access to all residents.

Should that happen, better outcomes will follow. D. Patrick Jones is the executive director for Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis. Benton-Franklin Trends, the institute’s project, uses local, state and federal data to measure the local economic, educational and civic life of Benton and Franklin counties.

Puzzle answers from page 13

Str8ts Solution

Str8ts Solution

8 9

4 3 6

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

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

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

3 4 5 6

1 2 4 3 5 7 6 8 7 2

2 3 5 4 9 8 7

Sudoku Solution

Str8ts Solution

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

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

Sudoku Solution

3 4 5 6

1 2 4 3 5 7 6 8 7 2

2 3 5 4 9 8 7

5 3 8 1 9 6 7 4 2

2 7 4 3 8 5 1 6 9

6 9 1 4 2 7 3 8 5

8 4 3 9 5 1 6 2 7

7 5 9 8 6 2 4 3 1

1 6 2 7 3 4 9 5 8

3 1 7 2 4 8 5 9 6

4 8 6 5 7 9 2 1 3

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

9 2 5 6 1 3 8 7 4

Sud

5 3 8 1 9 6 7 4 2

16

SENIOR TIMES • MARCH 2020

Clinic sees spike in number of kids affected by too much screen time

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Melissa Porcaro is all too aware of the irony.

Tri-City parents turn to the internet to find someone to help kids with behavior issues, academic challenges and other difficulties.

Their searches lead to her business, CAN Do Kids, a pediatric therapy clinic staffed with licensed occupational therapists who help children with life skills and physical development challenges.

The very internet that drives business to her practice is increasingly the reason some children need help.

“Our biggest thing is technology addiction,” she said.

Porcaro, a licensed therapist, opened CAN Do Kids in her Tri-City home seven years ago and later moved to leased office space at 1950 Keene Road in Richland.

Today, she employs seven and is preparing to add certified occupational therapists to keep up with the growing number of young patients.

Children are typically brought in by their parents or referred by schools or physicians who are concerned about bad behavior, aggression, anxiety or other issues that affect school performance and personal lives. Treatment is

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Melissa Porcaro established CAN Do Kids, a pediatric occupational therapy clinic in Richland, seven years ago. The clinic treats children with a variety of disorders that affect their interactions with others and can lead to behavior and other challenges in school and social settings.

often covered by insurance.

Porcaro begins every case with a consultation with parents. She sends them home with a job: Watch your household for a few days. What are your kids doing? What are they eating?

She advises a three-week detoxification period to wean kids from screens —TV, computer, smartphones and tablets.

She encourages families to exchange screen time for outdoor time or any other physical activity that doesn’t involve games and the internet.

By the time they return for formal evaluations, most report improved behavior.

It wasn’t always that way.

Technology addiction is a relatively new phenomenon for occupational

therapists, Porcaro said.

When she began her career, most young OT patients had developmental disabilities and needed help with basic life skills.

Porcaro has three children, now mostly-grown. Her son is a cadet at the U.S. West Point Military Academy.

Her youngest, Nicole, works at CAN Do Kids after school and recently received an appointment to all three U.S. military academies. She was the only student in the area to receive an appointment to all three.

The “CAN” in CAN Do Kids honors her children—Clayton, Anthony and Nicole.

Weaning children from their screens and the attendant therapy to compensate for sensory issues is just part of the CAN Do Kids menu of services.

The clinic helps children with issues related to fine motor delays, sensory processing challenges, autism spectrum disorders, visual/perceptual delays, handwriting concerns, prematurity, cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD, and speech disorders, among others.

CAN Do Kids: 509-392-3773; Campcankids@gmail.com; campcankids.com.