Senior Times - May 2020

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SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

MAY 2020 Volume 8 • Issue 5

A new chapter opens for Pasco’s historic Moore Mansion

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Senior Times Vendor Showcase B1

A look back at a century-old graduation in the age of coronavirus Page A6

Richland bakery knows all you knead is fresh bread plus solid customer base Page A11

MONTHLY QUIZ Kahlotus was first platted in 1902 by Hans Harder. What was his original name for the town?

Answer, Page A9

Pasco’s storied Moore Mansion is starting a new chapter after being sold by the couple who saved it from demolition.

Debra and Brad Peck sold the historic mansion to a Kennewick couple who will run it as a residence and event center. The Pecks and the new owners will collaborate to ensure weddings and other events booked for 2020 go on as planned.

Sandrine and Thomas King, a local pathologist, purchased the mansion, property and business assets for nearly $2.7 million as At the Moore LLC. The deal recorded in Franklin County on March 26.

The sale opens a promising new chapter for the Moore Mansion, the graceful Beaux Arts mansion built on the Columbia River shoreline in 1908 but never occupied by its builder, James Moore.

After a series of ownership changes, changes in use and a prolonged period of vacancy, it was nearly destroyed by a suspicious fire on May 9, 2001.

The Pecks bought it from a Florida bank in March 2004. They were motivated by a love of the property and desire to see it preserved. The $267,000 deal closed two days before a court-ordered deadline to rebuild or remove the damaged structure.

The Pecks restored it as a private residence and outdoor event center, hosting about 20 weddings, proms, meetings and other gatherings each year.

Brad Peck estimates 40,000 people passed through the property in the 14 years after it reopened. He and Debra never took a salary. They credit cliuMOORE MANSION, Page A5

Photo by Kristina Lord Ron Lunde, from right, Warren Nicley and Bob Gough share stories and good-natured jabs at a Tri-Cities Wood Carvers gathering in Columbia Park.

Group carves out new meeting spot to stay connected

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

You’ll find them gathered in a wide circle a few feet from the Columbia River and at least six feet from each other.

Members of the Tri-Cities Wood Carvers take care to spread out in Columbia Park in Kennewick to minimize the spread of coronavirus under Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

The battle against COVID-19, the potentially fatal disease caused by

coronavirus, closed the Kennewick Community Center and forced the group of mostly retired men and women to find another spot to carve and chat at a safe distance.

They meet at 1 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays near a gazebo a few hundred yards west of the Edison Street boat ramp.

They tackle individual projects and each other, swapping good-natured insults and jabs and information.

“We mainly do fun stuff,” said uWOOD CARVERS, Page A2

Three businesses, one pandemic add up to juggling act for Tri-City entrepreneurs

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

When Rachel and Tom Ammerman took over A-Plus Transportation, a Yakima medical transporter, they had big plans to expand to a new line of business.

A-Plus focuses on long-distance transport for Medicaid patients. It is a low margin business, so the Tri-City couple added a small-group charter business to fill what they saw as a gap in the market.

They set up Eastern Washington Transportation last year to focus on groups of 14 people of less.

In the background, the Ammermans are the local representatives for Go USA, which makes logo-branded apparel and other items for schools and businesses.

They run the three businesses from a small Richland office on Swift Boulevard.

They have spent much of the spring adapting to the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order hammered demand for logo wear and charter services and to a large degree, rides to medical appointments.

They have gotten creative to stay in business.

The charter business is on hold. Their insurance company offered the option to suspend coverage on the 14-seat Mercedes Sprinters they bought for the launch. They took it up and stashed the vehicles in secure storage until business revives.

They helped reinvent Go USA as a personal protective equipment business. No one needs branded sweatshirts and keychains, but people need masks and related uAMMERMAN, Page A4

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

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SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020 WOOD CARVERS, From page A1

EDITOR’S NOTE Your Senior Times looks a little different this month because of the coronavirus pandemic and Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. Senior centers are closed so there are no scheduled events.

Meals on Wheels is also disrupted so we aren’t able to publish the monthly menu.

For current Meals on Wheels information and how to receive meals, see page A5.

••• Senior Times canceled its spring Senior Expo, a popular April event that connected seniors with organizations that serve them.

We don’t want you to miss out, so we’ve compiled a special section offering vendors a chance to tell you what they couldn’t say in person. You’ll find it in the Senior Times Senior Expo Vendor Showcase on page B1.

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

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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.

Warren Nicley, a retired pharmacist who helped organize the quarantine-friendly gatherings.

The twice-weekly gatherings keep a club with a long history connected and friendships intact.

Tri-Cities Wood Carvers is more than 25 years old and offers members an outlet to share their creations, learn from one another and enjoy the satisfaction of turning raw pieces of wood into figurines, plaques, totems and more.

The coronavirus pandemic has not been good to the group. It was forced to cancel its annual Artistry in Wood juried art and show in April. Its eight-week carving class, which would have met from March to May, is now set for September.

A June woodcarving rendezvous is still on the calendar but it’s unclear if it will go forward.

Nicley said members are evenly split between men and women, joined by their common interest in carving wood. There are experts and beginners and everything in between.

Some people carve wood figures.

Others do relief carvings and burnishing and create decorative figurines. One member carves wine barrels and another turns wood on a lathe.

“We’re just a group of people that want to wood carve,” he said.

“There’s a whole variety of stuff that people do.”

Nicley said members are mostly 60 and over, which he laments. The group wants to draw younger members. There’s satisfaction, he said,

Photos by Kristina Lord Above: Warren Nicley of Tri-Cities Wood Carvers prepares to carve during a club gathering at Columbia Park in Kennewick.

Below: Wood carving tools remain at the ready during a recent gathering.

in creating something from wood, even if it doesn’t turn out particularly well.

“You’re creating something with your hands. There’s a lot of satisfaction with that.”

Nicley said he personally enjoys the feel of wood, the texture and

colors and movement of the grain.

He also recalled a difficult project that inspired him to take on bigger challenges.

Stay up to speed on the Wood Carving group at tri-citieswoodcarvingclub.blogspot.com or call 509-430-3778.

SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

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PNNL study shows lighting color, intensity affects seniors’ sleep

By Senior Times staff

The science of lighting is about more than brightness, efficiency and cost. It can affect moods and energy levels. It turns out that light—the right kind of light, at the right intensity, at the right time—also can affect health, well-being and sleep, according to a recent PNNL study.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland found these consistent results in sleep quality at a California assisted living center.

PNNL lighting experts worked with the Brown University School of Public Health to evaluate two very different lighting environments at ACC assisted living center in Sacramento. Almost half of the residents had a dementia diagnosis. Dementia can disrupt body clocks and, therefore, sleep.

Brown University experts in longterm care collected data on the patients’ sleep quality and agitation levels.

PNNL researchers contributed experience in sophisticated light measurement and understanding of how to evaluate those measurements using circadian metrics.

Researchers adjusted the facility’s LED light output and the warmth or coolness of the light color to more closely match a 24-hour outdoor natural

Courtesy PNNL A corridor at ACC assisted living center in Sacramento shows three different programmed settings for the tunable lighting study. Morning lighting is on the left, afternoon lighting is in the middle, and evening lighting is on the right.

light cycle. The advanced lighting system was adjusted to produce a bright, cool “blue-white” light in the morning and a dimmer, warmer light before bed and at night.

At bedtime, the warmer light’s intensity was reduced to 20 percent output.

That level provided enough light to keep corridors safe enough for caregivers to check on patients but low enough to minimize the amount spilling into bedrooms and disrupting sleep, PNNL said.

The study involved 63 residents.

Roughly half of the study group lived under the color-and intensity-tuned lighting conditions for two months and

spent the remaining two months in the static lighting conditions that simulated their previous lighting.

The other half were exposed to the static conditions first and spent the second two months under the tuned lighting conditions.

How does light affect sleep?

Neuroscientists hypothesize that an early morning blast of blue light helps keep people more alert during the day and leads to better sleep at night, and that very low light levels with a lack of blue light at night helps trigger and maintain sleep.

Brown University researchers,

working with nursing staff and using a questionnaire, determined that residents were sleeping better and longer in wings with the adjusted lighting. The tunable LED lights had a statistically significant positive effect compared to the static lighting. Caregivers also reported improvements in residents’ level of agitation.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office sponsored part of this study and similar work. PNNL will continue to collaborate with researchers who investigate the biological response of building occupants to various aspects of advanced, tunable lighting systems in realistic settings. They are working with an inpatient behavioral health unit in Colorado and a neonatal intensive care unit in Kentucky.

PNNL is just beginning two new lighting projects with university partners. One project is a collaboration with Emory University’s Brain Health Center and Georgia Tech’s SimTigrate Design Lab on a new center for people with mild cognitive impairment.

In the second project, with Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine, researchers are evaluating lighting in four senior care facilities to better understand the effects of light on the elderly.

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SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

AMMERMAN, From page A1

gear. The company leveraged relationships with its many producers to procure N95 masks and more.

Ammerman would not disclose specifics, but one order could eclipse a normal year’s revenue.

A-Plus, the medical transport business, is running at a much-reduced level. Most appointments have been canceled, though not all.

Tom Ammerman applied for and received a forgivable loan through the $660 billion Paycheck Protection Program, part of the $2.2+ trillion federal CARES Act. It may well save the enterprise.

“Without Paycheck Protection, it would have put us in a tough position” he said.

The Ammermans are serial entrepreneurs who owned and operated the Hansen Park and Broadmoor fitness centers. They ran the businesses, which are in Kennewick and Pasco, for 14 years before selling them about 18 months ago.

“Thank God,” Tom Ammerman said.

After the sale and before they took on the transportation business, the couple focused on Go USA, which had been a vendor to the fitness centers. They worked to build the Tri-City market, providing logo-branded items to local high schools and businesses.

They signed onto the transportation business about a year ago. Tom Am-

merman’s father, Randy, wanted to retire. Randy Ammerman sold A&A Motor coach to a Seattle-area firm that did not want the Eastern Washington territory.

Rachel and Tom took over, running it as A-Plus.

With a fleet of about 30 vehicles and 26 full- and part-time drivers, A-Plus specializes in long-distance transport.

It ferries clients who live in the Tri-Cities and Yakima Valley to doctor’s appointments in Seattle and Spokane and to a methadone clinic in Hermiston. Medicaid and Department of Labor and Industries patients are its chief source of business.

While many medical appointments canceled because of the pandemic, the medical transport business isn’t closed.

“We are still working. Dialysis patients have to go to the clinic,” Tom Ammerman said.

Most drivers are retirees who work as a hobby or for part-time income, or younger workers who drive as a second job.

Some volunteered to step back as hours fell off. Others saw their weekly hours fall from 40 to 25, which drove the Ammermans to apply for the federal loan program.

It is unclear when area residents will again feel safe about mingling in public and driving to medical appointments, but when they do, Tom Ammerman expects crushing demand as clients re-

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Tom Ammerman and his wife, Rachel, run medical and transport businesses from a small Richland office that doubles as a showroom for their side business, Go USA, a logo-branding company. All three businesses have had to adapt since the coronavirus pandemic triggered Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

schedule missed appointments.

“It’s going to be chaos,” he said.

The couple is hanging its recovery dreams on the charter business.

Eastern Washington Transportation aims to serve groups that are too big for a passenger vehicle and too small for a motor coach.

“Who do you call when you have a group of eight or 12?” Tom Ammerman asked.

The Sprinters seat 14. Eastern Washington Transportation is limiting itself to 14 passengers—ideal for wine tasting and other small parties and small enough to avoid the stepped-up regulations that apply to larger vehicles.

Tom Ammerman said he never had a

chance to promote it as a wine-touring business or wedding shuttle before the pandemic hit.

“School districts were keeping us so busy I haven’t had time to go get that (wine) business,” Tom Ammerman said.

Before the pandemic, state tournaments kept its small fleet busy.

The company drove athletes to the Special Olympics Winter Games and took wrestling teams from Hanford, Pasco and Chiawana high schools to the state tournament in Tacoma, before the shutdown order.

Chiawana took a team title and several of the local students did well at the tournament.

SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

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We must take steps to care for older adults’ mental health No matter your age, mental health and well-being are influenced by numerous factors and are susceptible to change. Right now, most people, across all sectors of society, are being affected by the global health crisis related to the new coronavirus. One particular group we should keep in mind during this challenging time is older adults, whose routines and usual support systems may be disrupted.

The most powerful factors that impact mental health and well-being for older adults include: • Mental health conditions. Often undiagnosed, mental health conditions (either previous or current) can have their first onset in later adulthood.

Depression and severe anxiety are not a normal part of aging and can be addressed with clinical treatment and social support. The stress of COVID19, the uncertainty it creates and the potential for older adults to be more susceptible to the virus can exacerbate any underlying risk for depression or anxiety.

• Physical health, pain and disability. Medical conditions are prevalent for most older adults and can often be well managed. When pain or chronic illness lead to functional disability, the individual’s sense of identity and well-being can be significantly impacted. During this COVID-19 outbreak, being in an older age demographic and having chronic health

uBRIEFS Sign up for meals, or to be a phone buddy

Tri-City area seniors in need of a meal or conversation can now get both through Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels.

To get a meal when all of the Meals on Wheels dining rooms are closed for their regular Mondaythrough-Friday hot meals, seniors can pick up frozen meals at the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, Pasco Parkside, Benton City and Prosser sites from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays.

Pickup in Connell is 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays.

Frozen meals also may be picked up from the Meals on Wheels Café from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, regardless of which site clients typically dine in. The café is at 1834 Fowler St. in Richland.

Seniors age 60 and older who are not current Meals on Wheels clients who may now need meal assistance should call 509-735-1911 to sign up for the free service.

To help local seniors stay connected, phone buddy volunteers are need-

conditions are criteria for “high-risk” vulnerability to the virus. This can compound the stress many older adults Dr. Christine feel.

Moutier • Social isoAmerican lation, feeling Foundation for Suicide Prevention lonely or disconnected.

GUEST COLUMN Any regular contact with family, neighbors, clubs, faith communities and social services (such as meal delivery or home care personnel) can serve as important points of contact. These can be a lifeline for social connection. Social distancing can create further isolation.

The current crisis is affecting almost everyone’s routines, mass transportation and some “non-essential” social services. This means that the usual social support and contacts older adults have with others may be diminished.

• Losses. They are a more frequent experience for older adults and can include the death of friends or family and other kinds of losses, such as driving, autonomy, financial or functioning in various roles. Older adults’ capacity to adapt and heal through grief and loss is generally vast. Yet grief can become complicated for

ed. They’ll be asked to call Meals on Wheels clients at least once a week for chit-chat, check-in and cheer-up.

Call 509-735-1911 or email prichter@seniorliferesources for more information.

Volunteers must undergo a free Washington state background check.

211 call center fielding questions about coronavirus

The state Department of Health is partnering with Washington 211 to answer the public’s coronavirus questions.

Call 800-525-0127 or text 211-211 for help between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Washington 211 replaces the health department’s novel coronavirus call center.

Washington 211 service includes trained professionals who help callers with questions about where to find more information about COVID-19 symptoms, how to get tested, how to prevent its spread, who to contact for medical assistance, forms to fill out if they meet exposure criteria and need to see a health professional, and more.

some. When losses occur in combination with other stressors, mental health deterioration can occur. The COVID-19 outbreak can feel like a threat that could bring about even more potential loss, adding to the older adults’ baseline experiences of loss.

• Disruption in routine, such as eating, sleep, daily structure, sense of purpose and relationships. There is a good chance the pandemic has affected the older adult’s usual routines: where they can shop, eat, walk and socialize.

Everyone has a role to play in supporting older adults during the crisis.

Here are some things you can do: • Regularly check in on your older adult friends, neighbors and family members.

• Call or video-chat with them, since texting and social media may not be the best method of connecting.

• Ask how they are doing during this period of time, how their routines might have had to change and what kinds of things they are doing to cope with the stress.

• Encourage them to keep doing the activities that are allowable in their local area and that they identify as being most helpful for them, such as daily exercise or a walk, stretching,

listening to or playing music, reading, enjoying favorite or humorous shows, puzzles, games, social activities and meditation or prayer.

• Help them seek medical advice or care if they are experiencing symptoms of physical or mental health decline.

• Offer to bring a meal, run an errand, or walk the dog, if your town allows for these activities.

• Seek advice based on their experience and wisdom.

• Express gratitude and appreciation for any support you get from your relationship with them. Let them know what you admire about the way they conduct their life.

Most importantly, communicate with the older adults in your life and express support. Let them know you’re there for them and that you care. Make sure they know you are grateful they’re part of your life.

It’s important that we all care for each other during this challenging and uncertain time. By taking a few simple actions, you can make all the difference in an older person’s life when they may need it the most.  Dr. Christine Moutier is the chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

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SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

A look back at a century-old graduation in the age of coronavirus

By East Benton County Historical Society

On May 14, 1920, exactly 100 years ago this month, Kennewick High School graduated its 13th class with festivities and ceremonies marking the occasion.

Kennewick graduated its first class in 1908, and this year marks its 113th graduating class.

The tradition of graduation ceremonies, complete with pomp and circumstance, the senior processional, caps and gowns and awarding diplomas, marks a rite of passage in Kennewick and at other high schools across the country.

Each year high school seniors anticipate the conclusion to 12 years of study, beginning with the classrooms and playgrounds of grade school. The pageantry of high school graduations is a late spring ritual.

Not this year. The coronavirus pandemic has left in its wake widespread cancellations of annual events and ceremonies.

This year’s 2020 graduates will be honored in the minds and hearts of loved ones for their achievements, and individual efforts will be made to celebrate the moment, but this year’s graduating seniors won’t

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Courtesy East Benton County Historical Society Kennewick High School’s Class of 1920 included eight girls and nine boys, who are identified on back of photo, which is available at the East Benton County History Museum in Kennewick. Students are seated in grass in front of main entrance to Kennewick High School, which originally was just west of Dayton Street facing north toward the canal.

be able to participate in the traditional graduation pageantry in auditoriums, gymnasiums, coliseums and outdoor arenas.

Their graduating predecessors a century ago shared the camaraderie when the 25 members of the 1920 graduating class gathered in the auditorium.

There are many differences in the century-separated classes, but like this year’s senior class, those in 1920 also were in school when a worldwide health crisis struck and millions died from a viral flu that spread across borders, continents and oceans. And, like this year’s class with volunteer efforts to help with different causes during their four-year high school tenure, those from 1920 did the same.

With American soldiers sent to fight at Flanders Fields in France during World War I, students at Kennewick High put together packages to be sent to the American troops and pursued other efforts to support them.

Yet the spring of their graduating year proceeded on course for the

walk across the auditorium stage for a diploma and handshake of congratulations.

It was highlighted first at the Junior-Senior Banquet where the 1920 and 1921 graduating classes officially bid their farewell to one another.

Guests dined on roast chicken with plain dressing, birds’ nest potatoes, green olives, hearts of lettuce with thousand island dressing, Brick ice cream, coffee and mints. The banquet featured songs, addresses and presentations, including music.

The school orchestra played, “Backward, Turn Backward, O Tune, in Thy Flight.”

Greetings were made by junior Allie Smith, with Velma Given offering the senior response. The school yell was led by senior Ward Johnson, and the passing of the gavel between the two classes was presented and accepted.

The 1920 seniors were sent out with a refrain of promise and hope from their junior counterparts: “We’ve made with you pals, good and true. You’ll hate to leave it all

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behind and go and find some place that’s known to God alone, just a spot to call your own. You’ll find perfect peace where joys never cease. Out there beneath a kindly sky, you’ll make a wonderful quest somewhere in the west and don’t forget your high school days gone by.”

For the Kennewick High School Class of 1920, graduation ceremonies began with the Senior Processional on a Friday evening beginning at 8 p.m. Under the watchful eye of parents, family, Kennewick High Principal Edith A. McBride and Superintendent of Schools Hamilton H. Hoffman, the event included among the 25 graduates, its class president, Given, and secretary, Floyd Hutchins. Four of the graduating seniors were noteworthy for carrying four-year grade averages above 90 percent. They were Maybelle Bass, Merville Bergman, Neil Johnson and Norma Terrill.

Their class motto was, “Don’t stare up the steps of success, but step up the stairs,” and their class colors of blue and gold were accentuated by the class flower, the white rose bud.

Following the processional, ceremonies began with an invocation by the Rev. H.J. Wood, followed by a solo, “In the Springtime,” sung by Mrs. Semon, conductor of Kennewick High’s Girls Chorus.

The high school chorus performed German composer Felix Mendelssohn’s “The Lord is Great,” and British composer Sir Frederick Hymen Cowen’s “Bridal Chorus.”

Later, the Girl’s Chorus performed “Carmena,” a piano composition by H. Lane Wilson and arranged by Mary Elizabeth Clark.

The major address of the graduation ceremony was given by Mrs. Josephine C. Preston on “The Emergency in Education.”

Then came the presentation of diplomas by F.L. Fraser and the seniors marched into the history of Kennewick High School, as will their 2020 successors, all proud graduates.

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SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020 MOORE MANSION, From page A1

ents who chose the mansion for their events for supplying the funds to continue renovating and upgrading the property.

Brad Peck, a Franklin County commissioner, said he and his wife will keep their home in District 1. He is required to live in the district he represents.

The Pecks will work with Sandrine King and her partner to ensure events booked for 2020 go on as planned.

Peck said no events have been canceled during the coronavirus stayhome crisis, but some have been rescheduled.

“We’re committed to making sure every one of our clients gets what they were promised,” he said.

New owners

Sandrine King, her husband and their twin sons, 6, have moved into the mansion.

She will run the event business with her partner, Lissette Conde, who will live on the property with her family in a carriage house once it is complete.

King, who financed the purchase with a mortgage, intends to increase the number of events held at the Moore Mansion. In addition to the outdoor events the Pecks welcomed, she will open the mansion itself to small indoor gatherings.

“Microweddings” could be held in the living room, she said, referring to weddings that involve 50 or fewer people.

Like the Pecks, King said she’s eager to leave her mark and pledged to continue with repairs and renovations.

“It’s not only beautiful, it has such history. It’s an icon of the Tri-Cities. I feel very privileged,” King said.

Renovations continue

As part of the deal, Peck agreed to complete a balcony railing restoration project that will complete the ornate Beaux Arts exterior appearance. Most of the wooden rail pieces have been made, but need to be assembled and installed.

It will be the most visible improvement since the fire-damaged portions of the building were reconstructed, he said.

Sandrine King said she long dreamed of owning an event venue. In her native France, her grandfather ran a hotel and restaurant and she loved the activity. When her family moved to New York City, she worked in their restaurant and held jobs in the hospitality industry as well as a hospital, where she met her future husband.

Tom King’s career brought them to the Tri-Cities 12 years ago by way of Phoenix. While in Arizona, she studied interior design and developed an appreciation for architecture.

She has a special interest in the mansion’s Beaux Arts style—formal, ornate, symmetrical and imposing.

Her understanding of the form convinced the Pecks she was the right buyer. While the Pecks were open to selling, they weren’t formally marketing it. After visiting with several prospective buyers, Peck said he was impressed by Kings’ affection for the property.

“They have the professionalism and knowledge and appreciation of the architecture,” he said. “They may be the only people who could tell me as much about Beaus Arts as I could tell them.”

The Pecks may have been passive sellers but the Kings were active buyers.

Sandrine King was looking at properties for an event venue. She’d been considering an orchard but was running into bureaucrats who said an event center needed to be tied to a brewery or winery, which she didn’t want.

When a broker told her an unnamed venue might be available, she said “no.”

She had second thoughts when she realized it might be the Moore Mansion.

One tour sold them on the idea.

“We had already fallen in love with the mansion. Who doesn’t?”

The couple sold their Kennewick

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Courtesy Firefly Photography and Cinematography Sandrine King and her husband, Tom, along with partner Lissette Conde, bought the Moore Mansion from Debra and Brad Peck and will continue to operate the Pasco property as an event venue.

home and secured a loan to close the purchase.

Rocky road

The new chapter follows a long and rocky past.

Moore Mansion fell into financial distress in the 1990s, culminating the devastating fire of 2001 and several years of court battles over its future.

Peck, a retired U.S. Air Force officer and Energy Northwest executive, said he and his wife bought it to ensure it wasn’t torn down. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, it was worth saving.

When a structural engineer said it could be saved, they dug in.

Over the following decade-plus, property records indicate the Pecks spent about $800,000 to build an event center, begin the carriage house garage and more, in addition to their personal labor. The property qualified

for a 10-year historic property tax break, which expired in 2017.

Peck said there’s no question the fire was deliberate. He found damning evidence in the basement.

He was working by flashlight when he found a homemade torch in a wall by a staircase.

A cardboard tube with an 18-inch length of twisted paper had been inserted inside the wall, its edges were burned.

He turned the evidence over to investigators. While the mansion’s previous owner pleaded guilty to other charges associated with the mansion, arson charges were dropped as part of the plea bargain.

“I do believe without any doubt whatsoever it was arson,” Peck said.

Learn more about the Moore Mansion at mooremansion.com.

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SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

uBRIEFS Purple asparagus sales at Larsen Farms benefit Alzheimer’s research

Larsen Farms is holding its second annual Purple Angel Asparagus fundraiser to support its Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

The event honors Nelda and Wayne Larsen, parents of the current owners.

Purple asparagus is $2 a pound with a five-pound limit and no maximum.

All orders must be in five-pound increments. The asparagus is harvested daily.

The promotion is expected to continue through May. Larsen is offering drive-thru pickup for pre-orders in West Richland. All proceeds support Alzheimer’s research.

Call 509-552-7026 to place an order. Delivery options may be arranged for those at high risk because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Be wary of Medicare coronavirus scams

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Medicare enrollees are encouraged to stay vigilant against possible scams, including perpetrators emailing or calling seniors and offering coronavirus vaccines.

“Currently, there’s no FDAapproved coronavirus vaccine,” said Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler.

“Beware of anyone who tries to scare you into giving up your Medicare number or bank account information.

If you get one of these calls or emails, hang up or delete the email.”

Kreidler’s Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program is also Washington state’s Senior Medicare Patrol project financed through a federal grant.

SHIBA staff and volunteers help people prevent, detect and report Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse.

For Medicare questions, concerns or complaints about potential fraud and abuse, call 800-562-6900 and ask to speak with SHIBA.

Grant to match United Way donations

Donations to the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties COVID-19 relief fund will be matched through a grant from a national foundation.

The one-to-one match will double local gifts.

United Way established the COVID-19 Community Response Fund to support nonprofits straining to serve the community with an

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Roll up for conversation

Photo by Melanie Hair Residents of the Tri-Cities Terrace apartment complex in south Richland enjoy sunshine and conversation while practicing safe social distancing.

emphasis on providing food and child care as well as mental and behavioral health services.

Contribute at give.uwbfco.org/ givenow.

Windsong launches ‘seniors rock’ campaign

Windsong Memory Care, which opened a facility in Kennewick this month, is challenging all senior housing communities to join its “Our Seniors Rock” campaign.

Senior communities can paint rocks with their residents, and then have representatives place the rocks throughout their community – in grocery store parking lots, beneath neighborhood mailboxes, etc.

Seniors should write on the back of the rocks the following message: “Post a pic on Facebook page Our Seniors Rock.”

Contact Stacey Flint at sflint@ windsongmemorycare.com or 503428-6909 for more information.

SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

Just for Fun Crossword

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A9

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SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

uBRIEFS Gas prices drop under $2 a gallon around Tri-Cities

Gas prices tumbled below $2 a gallon at several gas stations around the Tri-Cities.

The lowest price per gallon at the pump was $1.77 at Mid-Columbia Grocery, 6409 Court St., in Pasco, according to GasBuddy.com on April 28. Gas at the Kennewick Costco was $1.89 a gallon.

Benton County’s average is $2.09 a gallon; Franklin County’s is $2.11 a gallon, according to AAA. Washington state’s average is $2.46 a gallon; the national average is $1.76.

Crude oil prices were extremely volatile the week of April 20, pushing negative for the first time ever, but they did make significant gains to end the week in the positive, AAA said.

“AAA forecasts that the national average will continue to decrease into next month, possibly dropping as low as $1.65,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “We haven’t seen gas prices that cheap since January 2009.”

Some states could see minimal fluctuation at the pump in coming weeks if demand jumps as businesses are given the green light to re-open.

However, this will not have a large

impact for the majority of the nation’s motorists, AAA reported.

Need help paying utilities?

Cash assistance available

Washington residents who are struggling to pay power bills are eligible for emergency assistance through the Disaster Cash Assistance Program, administered by the state Department of Health and Social Services.

Help is available to state residents regardless of citizenship status.

Benefits are calculated based on household size, income and need.

The maximum available is $363 for a single person and $1,121 for a household of eight or more.

The benefit amount depends on household size, income and need, ranging from a maximum of $363 for a single person to a maximum of $1,121 for a household of eight or more.

DSHS estimates more than 175,000 households may be eligible for aid.

Go to WashingtonConnection.org or call 877-501-2233 to apply for benefits.

Franklin County residents can learn about other forms of assistance at franklinpud.com/help.

Longtime builder, philanthropist, volunteer dies at age 66

By Senior Times staff

Don Pratt, a prominent Tri-City builder, entrepreneur, volunteer and philanthropist, died April 7 after suffering a heart attack during a morning hike on Richland’s Badger Mountain.

Pratt, 66, received the community’s highest honor when he was named TriCitian of the Year in 2018.

The award, given jointly by Kiwanis International and Rotary International, was presented at a banquet headlined by another prominent citizen, former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.

He was nominated by Linda Moran, who said at the time she was embarrassed she hadn’t done so earlier.

Pratt was president and owner of Don Pratt Construction, a residential and commercial building firm. He was also a tireless volunteer for Mid-Columbia Means on Wheels and a champion for a dizzying array of civic causes, many supported through his decades-long affiliation with Sunrise Rotary Club.

He served on the Blue Mountain Council for Boy Scouts of America as well.

Pratt graduated from Kennewick High School in 1971. His self-named commercial and residential building firm launched in 1977. He was an active member of the Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities, serving several board terms and as the industry association’s president.

Pratt joined the HBA in 1989 and went on to become one of its most active and influential members joining the board of directors in 1994. He remained on the board until his death, holding the position of president three times. He was an anchor of the Parade of Homes, entering a home every year, and insisting that only HBA member suppliers and subcontractors be allowed to work on his home.

Jeff Losey, president and chief executive officer, said Pratt was celebrated

Photo by Rob Di Piazza Artistic Portraits Don Pratt, owner of Don Pratt Construction, was named 2018 Tri-Citian of the Year.

for identifying needs in the community and taking them on as personal challenges, all without seeking attention or praise.

“He never stopped,” he said.

“Don’s passing leaves a gaping hole in both the community and our organization. The HBA and the Tri-Cities are better because of him. Our condolences go out to Don’s family,” the HBA said in an April 8 newsletter sent to its members.

Meals on Wheels remembered Pratt for delivering meals along with his father until his father’s death.

“Don was a generous, kind, and humble man who truly lived our principle of putting the needs of others before his own. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. His passing is a huge loss for our community,” the nonprofit said in a tribute posted to Facebook.

Because of COVID-19 concerns, Pratt’s service will be held privately.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Hillcrest Funerals and Cremation of Kennewick is in charge of arrangements. A tribute wall to share memories or photos of Pratt can be found on the funeral home’s website.

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SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

A11

Richland bakery knows all you knead is fresh bread plus solid customer base

By Jeff Morrow for Senior Times

Richland’s Denise Thai always wanted to have her own bakery, but life got in the way while raising three children.

Now decades later, the children are grown with lives of their own, and the grandchildren are busy teenagers.

Thai, 58, decided a few years ago that maybe there are second chances in life.

So she launched Birch House Bakery with the help of her husband, Nguyen.

“I was always going to have a bakery,” she said. “Starting something in the cottage foods industry without a building I felt was very less risky.”

A cottage food operation seeks to provide low-cost, home-based opportunities for food businesses, according to state law.

Thai’s plan has been to build a customer base and then work her way into a storefront.

Birch House customers place orders online and then can pick up items in person from her home on Alder Avenue in Richland. The Thais also deliver.

The business’ Facebook page menu lists 42 different products, including bread, cookies, fruit crisps, fruit pies and divinity candy.

“Everything is made from scratch,” she said.

Mainly, though, “We are an artisan sourdough bakery.”

Photos by Jeff Morrow Denise Thai prepares to deliver fresh breads from her cottage food home kitchen in Richland.

Her business, Birch House Bakery, opened a year ago.

“It’s not necessarily hard, but you have to nurture it every day,” she said.

“You have to take care of it every day.

Kind of like having it as a child – you make sure it’s fed on time.”

Her bread can take 20 to 36 hours to make.

“Typically speaking, I like 20 hours,” she said.

Customers love her product.

Last fall, during local holiday bazaars, she sold out quickly.

“I am confident that people will say that it’s the best bread they’ve eaten.

But I understand the price is prohibitive of return sales because it’ll cost them $10. And you can get a loaf of bread in the store for $2,” Thai said.

“You have to sell the idea that it’s not just a loaf of bread,” she continued. “It’s a way of life. You take from water and salt, and you make bread, and can feed a family without having to go to the store.”

Her earliest memory of baking and loving it was when she was about 5 years old.

“It seems most of my really warm and comforting memories came from the kitchen, especially my mother’s kitchen,” she said.

Her goal as a youngster was to attend a professional culinary program and study in France.

That all changed when her son was born. Within three years, Thai had three babies, and France was out of the picture.

But she continued to bake at home.

“I was raised on a farm. I had a lot of those ideals people get from growing up on the farm,” she said.

Things like self-sufficiency and using organic foods.

And making her own bread.

She’s also had experience working in the food industry.

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SENIOR TIMES • MAY 2020

BIRCH HOUSE, From page A11

way bakery, worked at Sbarro,” she said.

She celebrated her first anniversary in business on Dec. 31, 2019.

It was a tough year, she said.

“I didn’t know how difficult it would be to create something without a storefront,” she said. “Cottage foods is difficult. You have to market.”

In January, she turned to online classes, “desperate to save the baby.”

“I want to show people that we can take care of ourselves,” she said. “I decided to try some online classes, one called Intro to Bread. It’s the very basics to teach people to make bread.

“The first class, I thought I’d get 10 to 20 people interested,” Thai said.

“But I got 10,000 likes on Facebook.

I thought I might have hit on something.”

She added classes on cinnamon rolls and focaccia bread. Then the coronavirus outbreak hit.

“We’ve taken another step back,” she said.

She’s paused classes and will wait until Gov. Jay Inslee lifts his Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

But she hopes to resume normalcy. Her Facebook page has three new classes scheduled, with the first one, Focaccia and Breadsticks, on May 30.

All of these classes are held at Red Mountain Kitchen in Kennewick.

Classes, which average two hours, range between $45 to $60. Intro to Bread is $50.

“I’d like to get people involved in bread workshops, in food workshops,” Thai said.

It also helps get the word out on her cottage food business, which all cottage food businesses need right now, she said.

“People would say, ‘Oh this is what you’re doing,’ ” she said. “A lot of it goes back to talking to people and education. We try to introduce ourselves to everyone we can, and it’s slowly starting to happen that people are finding out about us.”

The pandemic hampered her takeout and delivery business, too.

Since the stay home order, she’s had few orders.

“People aren’t used to going to a home. But that’s the most natural way of doing it. We did it that way 100 years ago,” she said.

She’s not giving up.

“My dream job is to have a well-established bakery,” Thai said. “I enjoy it a lot, and the journey is worth it.

Would I like to be an Ethos Bakery with a storefront? Sure I would.

“But right now, we’re kind of the little engine that could.”

Birch House Bakery Online Cottage Foods Bakery: 509-212-8288; Facebook.

uBRIEFS Washington air quality is worsening, report says

Wildfires and wintertime wood fires helped drive Yakima, Spokane and the Seattle area to the top of the nation’s worst cities for air pollution, according to the American Lung Association’s 2020 State of Air report.

The Tri-Cities was not on the list, but Benton County received a failing grade for air quality in the report.

The Lung Association’s annual air quality report tracks Americans’ exposure to unhealthy levels of particle pollution and ozone during a three-year period.

Yakima ranked fifth in the nation for short-term particle pollution, its worst-ever ranking and 10 spots ahead of its 2019 ranking. Yakima is 27th most polluted for yearround particle pollution, up more than 50 spots from a year earlier.

“Trends of increasing wildfires in Washington and neighboring states are consistent with a warming climate,” said Season Oltmann, the lung association’s Washington state director. “Exposure to wildfire smoke places our health and our lives at risk.”

The Spokane-Spokane Valley-

Coeur d’Alene metro area’s air quality ranked 14th most-polluted for short-term particle pollution, its worst ever recorded.

The Seattle-Tacoma area improved from the ninth to 14th most polluted area for short-term particle pollution.

Bellingham is tied for seventh as the cleanest city for annual particle pollution.

Read the full report at lung.org/ sota.

Stimulus payments add up in Washington

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service distributed 88 million economic impact payments totaling $158 billion to Americans through April 17.

The government released stateby-state figures for Economic Impact Payments, with 88.1 million individuals receiving payments worth nearly $158 billion in the program’s first three weeks.

More payments are continuing to be delivered each week.

In Washington state, more than two million payments totaling nearly $3.7 billion were distributed.