AARP seeks nominees for exceptional volunteer award

AARP is accepting nominations for its 2024 Washington Andrus Award for Community Service, which honors seniors who are sharing their experience, talent and skills to enrich the lives of their community.

Last year, AARP recognized 49 outstanding individuals and couples from around the country.

In 2023, AARP Washington recognized Bill Meyer of Spokane, who, after a being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, went on the offensive and used his love of the outdoors to help others. In 2016, he founded PasstoPass, a nonprofit which provides opportunities for people with Parkinson’s disease to participate in supported multi-day backpacking trips that build confidence, cultivate community, nourish well-being and minimize symptoms through exercise.

Nominees must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Nominee must be 50 years or older.
• The achievements, accomplishments, or service on which the nomination is based must have been performed on a volunteer basis, without pay. Volunteers receiving small stipends to cover the costs associated with the volunteer activity are eligible.
• Partisan political achievements, accomplishments or service may not be considered.
• Couples or partners who perform service together are eligible; however, teams are not eligible.
• Previous Andrus Award recipients are not eligible.
• Volunteers serving on the award selection committee are not eligible.
• AARP staff members are not eligible.
• This is not a posthumous award.

The recipient will be honored at a ceremony and will be able to bestow a $2,000 donation to a nonprofit of their choice, subject to AARP review and approval.

Nominations can be made by visiting aarp.org/andrusaward or email aarpwa@aarp.org for a nomination form.

The application deadline is July 15.

The award recipient will be announced in early fall. 

California wine country flight to be discontinued

A new flight between Pasco and California wine country is being discontinued.

The Avelo Airlines service between the Tri-Cities Airport and Sonoma County Airport is ending effective June 12, about 1 ½ months after it debuted on May 1.   

The airline “determined the aircraft being utilized on the route ... can be better utilized on routes elsewhere in our system due to low demand,” said Courtney Goff, Avelo communications manager, in a statement provided to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

Affected customers have been notified and are being fully refunded, she said, adding that Avelo also is issuing a “goodwill credit” for use in future Avelo travel.

Meanwhile, another Avelo route to California is getting beefed up – between Pasco and Burbank in Los Angeles County. The twice weekly flight frequency is increasing to four days per week in September, the statement said.

Historic hotel undergoes extensive remodel

The Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center has been a landmark in downtown Walla Walla for almost 100 years, attracting visitors near and far, and in that time, it has undergone two renovations.

The second currently is winding down as hotel staff prepare for tourist season.

Ted Hawksford, general manager of the hotel since October, said he’s excited for guests to see the changes.

“We wanted to bring back the majesty of the Marcus Whitman, to renew the grandeur of this hotel,” he said. “The lobby is really gorgeous. The plaster and woodwork have been restored to their original colors.”

While the exterior looks the same, the multimillion-dollar renovation has taken place in the guest rooms of the historic tower and the west wing, the lobby and the food and beverage spaces, including the Marc Café.

Renovations in the 133 guest rooms and suites included new furnishings, paint, wallpaper, lighting, hardware and carpet.

The Marcus Whitman Hotel opened in 1928, earning the moniker the “Grand Dame of the Palouse.”

Coalition takes aim at natural gas regulations 

A statewide coalition recently launched a signature-gathering effort to get an initiative on the November ballot that aims to protect energy choices and to prohibit natural gas bans in Washington.

Supporters of Initiative 2066: Protect Energy Choice need 324,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities (10001 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick), as well as the Tri-Cities Association of Realtors (7151 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick), will serve as an official signature collection locations.

Report: women express concern about how to afford future health costs, retirement

A national survey of women, commissioned by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER), found that American women continue to face significant economic stress, and they are concerned about how to pay for health care and other daily expenses in retirement. 
For the second year in a row, “What Women Say: Insights and Policy Solutions for Lifelong Security,” asked women about their financial situation today and how they feel about their future. This year’s survey also included a new set of questions about women’s health.

Women surveyed highlighted fears and concerns related to their health:

• Women rated their general health worse than their mental health, and low-income and rural women rated their general and mental health a net negative.
• In the past year, roughly 1 in 3 women reported having experienced delays in access to health care or food insecurity issues, and 1 in 5 reported delays in filling prescription medicines.
• Women view having a low income as the most negative influence on a person’s health. Being a woman, having a low education, and being Black or Hispanic are also viewed as net negatives.

For the second year in a row, women reported substantial economic stress:

• Less than half (49%) of women and a third of rural women reported having saved for retirement.
• Low-income white and Hispanic women reported their financial security to be worse compared to last year.
• More than 7 in 10 low-income women say they are not confident about their ability to plan and save for retirement.
• Roughly one third of all women and half (49%) of low-income women said their retirement income or savings will not be enough to pay their monthly bills, an increase from 2023.

New loop ramp at I-182, Broadmoor opens

The new loop ramp from eastbound Interstate182 to northbound Broadmoor Boulevard opened to traffic on June 3. The current off-ramp from eastbound I-182 now will be designated exclusively for southbound Broadmoor.

Construction started in November 2023 and is tentatively scheduled to be completed by December with a new roundabout.

The city of Pasco said this development is an effort to enhance traffic flow, increase road safety and support the Broadmoor area’s growth. Additionally, plans are underway to build a future roundabout at the north end of the interchange.

This project is part of a nearly $40 million investment in the area.

The installation of a new traffic signal at the Broadmoor and Burns intersection will begin in June.