Beginning April 13, 2020 and until further notice, Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) will suspend five regular bus routes in Pasco and replace them with two new interim routes as the agency continuously works to maintain a balance between maximizing connectivity to essential services, adjusting for significantly decreased demand in response to Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, and managing fluid changes in staffing availability.
The following bus routes will be suspended effective Monday, April 13, 2020:
The following new bus routes will begin on Monday, April 13, 2020 on a temporary basis to maintain accessibility to essential services:
Customers who normally ride Routes 64, 65, 66, or 67 can visit www.bft.org/Services/Route-61-69-E/ to see maps and schedules for Routes 61E and 69E, and which stops they can use to access the new routes. Impacts in West Pasco:
“BFT remains committed to protecting our employees while serving members of our community in need of essential transportation services during this time,” said BFT general manager Gloria Boyce. “We have been carefully monitoring ridership and staffing and have reached a point where additional changes are necessary and prudent.“ The routes being suspended in Pasco have limited connectivity to essential businesses, significantly focus on service to schools which are not in operation, and have recently been experiencing very low ridership. The goal of the two temporary replacement routes is to continue providing as much bus network coverage as possible, while prioritizing route connectivity to essential services. In addition, BFT had been planning to implement a new on-demand service designed to help customers connect to the bus system in April, prior to the pandemic declaration and the Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. Though the launch for this service, to be named BFT CONNECT, was initially delayed, BFT is now working with its contracted partner to explore implementation in the near future to help maintain service coverage and flexibility during ongoing emergency response conditions and beyond. BFT will continue to provide regular service on all other bus routes at this time and will notify customers via Facebook and Twitter, on its website at www.bft.org/Covid-19, and by other means as appropriate of any further changes in service. For the most up-to-date bus schedules we recommend that riders download and use the Transit app, or check MyRide.BFT.org. Phone support is also available Mon-Fri 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sat 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 509.735.5100. To protect our passengers and drivers, BFT is continuing daily disinfection procedures in all our vehicles and facilities and continuing all implemented social distancing measures, including no fare collection and rear-door bus entry until further notice. Our top priorities are to continue essential service and to keep our employees and customers healthy and safe. Reminders for Riders:
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Bechtel delivered 1,000 N95 masks to Tri-Cities emergency responders and health care providers on Wednesday to help in the global fight to protect communities against the coronavirus pandemic, in cooperation with the Tri-City Economic Development Council.
“Our first responders, nurses, doctors and care providers are on the front lines of this fight in our community and around the world,” said Valerie McCain, Bechtel Principal Vice President. “They are our last defense, and we’re grateful for their heroism. I’m glad we can help in even a small way to keep them safer.” The donation was made in connection with a community drive TRIDEC launched in March to collect personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, being distributed to local hospitals, nursing homes, and police and fire departments. “A donation of this size is truly an investment in our community,” said TRIDEC President and CEO Karl Dye. “This is another example of Bechtel’s commitment to supporting people and working families in the Tri-Cities. We're grateful for their leadership and generosity during these uncertain times.” The Tri-Cities donation is part of a larger effort for Bechtel, which has delivered more than 16,500 masks and other PPE to local communities around the country where its employees work at projects and corporate offices. Workers delivered the donated masks to the Franklin County Emergency Management facility in Pasco. “We are all in this together,” McCain said. “And we will get through this together.” Trios Health has launched an online community platform that allows friends, family, church communities and the community at large to connect with current patients. Trios Chaplain, Ondria Hitt shares, “For hospitalized patients, staying connected to their support systems and receiving encouragement and love from family and friends is a meaningful part of healing and recovery. We know that our patients not being able to have visitors and loved ones at their bedside can be an isolating and lonely experience. We want our patients to know they are not forgotten, and that people care about them. Prayers, poems, scriptures, or your heartfelt messages will matter and make a difference.” Isolation has become a very real concern since our local hospitals have restricted visitation to protect both patients and staff during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Staff at Trios will be printing out the messages and delivering to patients with the hope that this communication will bring comfort, encouragement and peace during this very challenging time. And, for a community self-isolating at home, Chaplain Ondria shares, “We are finding creative ways to help keep our patients spirits up while helping the community know how they can remain close to their loved ones and other patients. The kindness of our community has been like a prayer in motion as they continue to reach out to help in so many ways. We acknowledge the community with deep gratitude for their care. Anyone from the community can share well wishes and words of inspiration online Trios patients. Please visit bit.ly/2V9bFPA to fill out your message. The link will also be posted on the Trios website - trioshealth.org/COVID-19/. Mid-Columbia Libraries' (MCL) 12 branches and Bookmobile are closed through May 4 in compliance with Gov. Jay Inslee's extended statewide stay home order aimed at curbing the state's outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).
MCL has added titles to its digital collection to keep up with increased demand; thousands of eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, Read-Along books, and more are available 24/7 at midcolumbialibraries.org/ebooks. An instant digital library card is available using just a mobile phone number; new customers can download the Libby app to get started. Other digital resources offered by the library include the genealogy search tool Ancestry, which is now available from home with a library card number. MCL has also increased viewer credits from five to 10 per month for its streaming video service, Kanopy, and offers unlimited kids’ viewing in Kanopy Kids. Customers can read and engage with MCL online this spring for a chance to win great prizes during the Spring Reading Challenge. Information and updates, as well as weekly Facebook Live storytimes, are available on MCL’s website and on Facebook. During this time of public health emergency and school closures, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties are offering emergency childcare to medical professionals, other first responders, and parents who must depend on childcare.
We are collecting donations of food, personal hygiene and household items, and educational activities for kids and delivering them straight to families in need. Many parents have been laid off and they need community support now more than ever. The Boys & Girls Clubs are also offering interactive, original, online programming for all families in our community during school closures. Since 1996, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties have been providing safe places and nurturing environments for kids to learn, grow, and become good citizens. Your local Boys & Girls Club served 4450 kids last year alone in the Tri-Cities and Prosser. Our services are present in local schools, traditional Clubhouses, preschools, and nurseries. Because of program closures and the need to cancel our annual Breakfast event, projected to raise $70,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, we have lost revenue. Now more than ever, we need our community’s support so we can step up for local kids. Broadmoor Storage Solutions has generously offered to match gifts made in April, so your donation will go twice as far. Please visit www.greatclubs.org/donate to make a gift. We’re stepping up to support our community. Will you join us? Step up with us at www.greatclubs.org/donate. Beginning April 6, 2020 and until further notice, Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) bus route 268 will be reduced in frequency as the agency continuously works to maintain a balance between maximizing connectivity to essential services, adjusting for significantly decreased demand in response to Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, and managing fluid changes in staffing availability.
Impacted Bus Route Beginning Monday, April 6, 2020: Route 268. Trip frequency will reduce from every 30 minutes to every 90 minutes. This is a weekday only route, primarily serving schools that are currently closed and without significant connectivity to essential services as defined by the Governor’s order. Additionally, most stops on this route are shared with other routes, including 66, 67, and 225 which are operating on normal schedules at this time. “BFT remains committed to protecting our employees while serving members of our community in need of essential transportation services during this time,” said BFT general manager Gloria Boyce. “This service reduction is designed to keep our region moving and allow those dependent on BFT services to make essential trips, while also adjusting for fluctuating BFT staffing availability and expectedly lower demand. Our goal is to reduce service in a way that minimizes impact to overall system coverage and maintains reachability of essential services including grocery, medical, and pharmacy, and essential work trips.” BFT will continue to provide regular service on all other bus routes at this time and will notify customers via Facebook and Twitter, on its website at www.bft.org/Covid-19, and by other means as appropriate of any further changes in service. For the most up-to-date bus schedules we recommend that riders download and use the Transit app, or check myride.bft.org. Phone support is also available Mon-Fri 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sat 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 509.735.5100. To protect our passengers and drivers, BFT is continuing daily disinfection procedures in all our vehicles and facilities and continuing all implemented social distancing measures, including no fare collection and rear-door bus entry until further notice. Our top priorities are to continue essential service and to keep our employees and customers healthy and safe. Reminders for Riders:
BFT will continue to monitor COVID-19-related developments and take appropriate action using guidance from public health authorities. Matthew Riesenweber, an independent LPL Financial advisor in Kennewick, WA has been recognized as one of the 2020 Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in America, as ranked by Barron’s. Riesenweber, President and Wealth Advisor of Cornerstone Wealth Strategies was recognized as the 20th advisor in Washington.
The annual list highlights outstanding financial advisors from all 50 states based on data provided by more than 4,000 financial professionals around the nation, according to Barron’s. Advisors were assessed on varying factors contributing to the quality of their practice*, among them the amount of client assets they serve and community outreach. The 2020 report names the top advisors in each state, with the number of ranking spots distributed in proportion to state population and wealth. Read the full report here. “On behalf of LPL, I congratulate Matt Riesenweber and his entire team for the extraordinary work they do each day that has led to this esteemed industry recognition,” said Andy Kalbaugh, LPL Financial managing director and divisional president, National Sales and Consulting. “This award demonstrates his focus and commitment to helping families by building relationships and trust with clients. As a top advisor in Washington, Matt is a source of strength and stability for clients, delivering exemplary wealth management services in even the toughest of times. We thank Matt for making meaningful impacts on the lives of his clients on a daily basis. We remain committed to providing resources and capabilities that make it easier and more effective for him to do this incredibly important work.” Matt Riesenweber is based in the Tri-Cities and provides a full range of financial services, including retirement and financial planning, and money management. This recognition represents the efforts of Matt Riesenweber, Matt Wiser and the entire team and, most importantly, the remarkable relationships and results they strive to achieve for their clients. Riesenweber is an LPL Financial advisor. LPL is the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer** and a leader in the retail financial advice market, providing resources, tools and technology that support advisors in their work to enrich their clients’ financial lives. Do you know an administrative assistant that has handled the chaos of COVID-19 brilliantly? Nominate them for the “Handling Crisis Brilliantly” award.
Here’s how:
We are all facing this unprecedented time together. It can be difficult to know what to do and where to turn and yet brilliant assistants everywhere are figuring it out. Let’s show our appreciation and recognize them by submitting a nomination today. The Information Management team with Hanford Site contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) recently received the 2020 Project of the Year Award from the Columbia River Basin chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI). Selected by an independent evaluation team, MSA was recognized for their work on the Hanford Datacenter Modernization & Closure project, led by project manager Dennis Rains.
Todd Eckman, vice president of Information Management for MSA, accepted the award on behalf of the team. “There is a great amount of pride in receiving this award, especially because of the level of teamwork and collaboration it required. This project increased efficiency and will save the Department of Energy – and taxpayers – up to two million dollars over the next ten years.” As the site services provider, MSA manages Hanford’s computer network, including a primary and a backup datacenter. This project included the closure of an old datacenter, which was replaced with a new, more efficient and smaller center, which was moved off-site. Partners included both Benton and Franklin County Public Utility Districts, the Northwest Open Access Network and the Department of Energy. During the awards ceremony, Eckman gave a brief presentation on the project and described it in a way that is easy for many to understand. “A datacenter is like a brain – it’s where all the processing and storage of information happens. Like your brain, a datacenter runs an entire network. When you’re moving a datacenter from one location to another, it’s like having your brain taken out and moved to another body and still expecting it to work exactly as it had before. Every single computer and device on our network is connected to the datacenter and we had to ensure there was no lapse in service and that everything was reconnected to work the same as before.” The Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation is teaming up with local restaurants to provide patients with a meal during this difficult time. They are partnering with some of the restaurants and chefs who participated in our DINE OUT event in Fall 2019 for DINE IN - Cancer Crushing COVID-19 Care.
Starting last week, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation began accepting donations online to send cancer patients a meal from one of our local cancer crushing restaurants. Donations go to support our patients and our wonderful local businesses. Donations can be made at https://tccancer.z2systems.com/np/clients/tccancer/survey.jsp?surveyId=2& Weekly, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation will announce which restaurant or chef we are partnering with on Facebook. This week, patients will receive lasagnas from Chef Kyle Thornhill of Tsunami Catering. Chef Kyle is the amazing chef from our Cancer Crushing Cuisine Cooking Series. In addition, Chef Kyle also has a catering company where you can order meals for your family to take home and enjoy out of Red Mountain Kitchen at https://www.tsunamicatering.com/. |
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July 2024
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