May 2017
Volume 5 • Issue 4
Funeral home finishes remodel Einan’s at Sunset planning Memorial Day weekend events BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz
Trios Health cuts staff, considers bankruptcy
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Q&A: What’s your favorite thing to do in the Tri-Cities?
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Meals on Wheels May Menu Page 15
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Saturday, June 3 Noon - 4 p.m. Old Fashioned Day at Sacajawea Park 509-366-1272
The staff at Einan’s at Sunset in Richland already know how difficult it is for family members to visit a funeral home after the death of a loved one. And they’ve taken care to improve the experience with a recent $2 million remodel. They’ll celebrate the completion of the project Memorial Day weekend with tours of the facility that include a display of a replica of President Abraham Lincoln’s coffin, refreshments and music. The renovations added about 6,000 square feet to the 9,000-square-foot Richland funeral home off the bypass highway. The rooms where staff meet with grieving families to make funeral arrangements have been remodeled to create a “living room” feel, said Holley Sowards, who manages the operations of Einan’s at Sunset funeral home. The three rooms — there used to be two — feature tasteful light fixtures, homey décor provided by It’s All in the Details store in Kennewick and snacks, and the rooms’ large windows showcase the sweeping views of the cemetery grounds. A large TV screen allows family members to view casket and urn styles since more people are accustomed to online shopping, Sowards said. “When it’s on the screen, it’s not as uncomfortable,” she said. Sowards said it was important to her team to create a space that wasn’t too “stuffy” and “old looking,” and “well, like a funeral home.” uEINAN’S, Page 7
Thirty-two members of the Fun, Fit & Over Fifty Club pose for a photo after a recent hike up Badger Mountain. The club, which started in 2003, provides monthly outings to members that include walks, hikes, bike rides and water and camping excursions, as well as social and intellectual activities. The club boasts 350 members who pay annual dues of $15.
Fun, Fit & Over Fifty Club members enjoy fresh air with their friendships BY JEFF MORROW for Senior Times
In 2011, Anne Nolan and her husband were getting ready to retire from their jobs out at the Hanford area. There was a real fear of what would happen next, she said. What would they do with their big chunk of free time? And with whom? Then she found the Fun, Fit & Over Fifty Club. “The majority of our socializing had been with people at work,” Nolan said.
“That doesn’t happen after you retire. I stumbled across this group on the internet. We first attended one of their happy hours. Neither one of us is overly athletic.” The Nolans were so smitten with the club that they immediately joined, and today Anne Nolan is the club’s president. She oversees a club roster of 350 people. “We try to have a lot of different activities,” she said. “Basically, it’s to provide a resource for seniors to be active, and to be social.” uCLUB, Page 2
More seniors relying on Social Security as main income Study cites increase in seniors using it as primary income as they age BY ROBIN WOJTANIK for Senior Times
Terry Chick is among a growing percentage of Baby Boomers who rely on a Social Security check every month as a main source of income. But it’s not a position he expected to be in after decades of full-time work. “I’ve never been to a financial planner,” he said. Chick’s face may be familiar to TriCity residents after years working as a
TV anchor, completing a career with stints at CNN, FOX Sports Network and Sports News Network. Yet despite making $165,000 at his highest point, Chick admitted his life choices left him without a substantial retirement savings and he began drawing Social Security when he was first eligible, at age 62. As the self-proclaimed “Cheapest Man in the Tri-Cities,” Chick, 63, of Kennewick, takes pride in saving more than he spends. “Don’t call me frugal. Call me cheap,” he quipped. uSOCIAL SECURITY, Page 9
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