All Posts in "Month: April 2025"

By Theresa Power-Drutis

The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress (2024 Point-in-Time, or PIT, report) indicates the highest recorded levels of homelessness in the U.S., with 771,480 individuals nationally experiencing homelessness on a single night. Contributing factors include an affordable-housing crisis, inflation, systemic racism, and the cessation of COVID-era support programs. Key findings include:

  • Homelessness in families with children rose by 39 percent from 2023, with nearly 150,000 children affected.
  • Over 152,000 individuals reported chronic patterns of homelessness, a 27 percent increase since 2007, with 65 percent living in unsheltered locations. ·
  • Military veterans are the only group showing a decline, with an 8 percent reduction since 2023 and a 55 percent drop since 2009 due to sustained funding.
  • One in five people experiencing homelessness was 55 or older; nearly half were living in unsheltered conditions.
  • People who identify as Black, African American, or African accounted for 32 percent of homelessness, despite being 12 percent of the population.
  • Emergency shelter beds increased by 18 percent, while transitional housing declined. Permanent-housing programs expanded modestly, reflecting targeted investments but not fully meeting demand.

The report underscores systemic challenges and limited success in addressing homelessness on a national level. County-level reports reflect similar challenges. (Editor’s note: The Pierce County 2025 homeless Point-in-Time count was conducted on Jan. 30-31. The results hadn’t been announced as of March 11. For the county’s 2024 count, results included a 23 percent increase in overall homelessness and a slight decrease in the number of people using specialized services for the homeless, according to the county’s Human Services Department.

“The annual PIT counts often mobilize large numbers of volunteers and serve to educate communities about homelessness. However, despite all the community effort and goodwill that goes into them, and due to no fault of the professionals and volunteers who carry them out, the counts are severely flawed,” said officials of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. Despite the flaws detailed in the National Law Center report, “Don’t Count On It,” the PIT is a critical requirement for each county’s federal funding to address homelessness. To learn more, view Pierce County’s PIT results from previous years or sign up to volunteer at piercecountywa.gov.

Theresa Power-Drutts is a director of League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County. She wrote this article for the organization’s January newsletter.

The Senior Scene by — April 24, 2025 in News
Love at any age

(Pictured: For older adults, the dating scene has opportunities and challenges.)

By Christina Healy

A record 25.9 million seniors are single and ready to mingle in America, up almost 6 million from a decade ago, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Some prefer to stay single, but enough seek companionship that marriage rates for seniors last year hit a 10-year high at 56 percent.

All these indicators, along with more seniors trying dating apps, suggest that cupid will be very busy in 2025.

While the dating scene for seniors offers opportunities, it’s not without challenges, especially for people who have been out of the game for decades.

Dating in the digital age is a good way to meet people but also potentially costly. Americans lost a record $1 billion to romance scams in 2023. Seniors were by far the most targeted age group in such fraud and should never send money to anyone they meet online.

The bedroom has gotten riskier, too, with sexually transmitted infections (STI) more than doubling among seniors between 2000 and 2022.

The cost of a date night has also increased.

With so many variables, Seniorly conducted a study analyzing 12 metrics of data across three main categories in all 50 states and D.C.: Health and well-being (overall health, mental health, life expectancy, and STI rates), family life (marital status, whether seniors live alone or with family, ratio of older women to men, and how engaged they are socially), and financial health (average date-night costs, availability of restaurants, the likelihood of falling prey to romance scams, and spending on memberships and clubs), .

Here’s some of what the study found out: 

  • Number of single seniors and marriage rate soar. The 25.9 million single seniors in America are the most ever – and the marriage rate of 56.3 percent is the highest in 10 years.
  • South Dakota is the No. 1 state for finding love, due to its exceptionally low rate of mental distress among seniors (5 percent), high percentage of older adults in good health (82 percent), and a balanced gender ratio among older adults of 111 women for every 100 men. The rest of the top five states are, in order, Minnesota, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Hampshire.

Washington ranked 29th, supported by a strong life expectancy (11th-best), solid health outcomes (18th-best), and a decent restaurant scene (19th-best) that enhances social opportunities. The state also has a fairly balanced gender ratio and above-average recreational spending. However, the Evergreen State has high STI rates, a high frequency of romance scam victims, and expensive date nights.

  • West Virginia ranked last due to its low life expectancy and poor health outcomes, among other shortcomings.
  • More fish in the sea isn’t always better. The country’s four most populous states ranked in the bottom half overall: No. 30 New York, No. 34 California, No. 40 Florida, and No. 43 Texas. Pennsylvania, the fifth-largest state, ranked 23rd. This suggests that a larger population doesn’t always translate to a better dating pool.
  • States with fewer single seniors tended to score better overall. The ironic twist may reflect stronger long-term relationship stability, better social support networks, and healthier folks – all factors that contribute to a higher quality of life and more favorable rankings.
  • Marriage isn’t just great for romance, but also a key ingredient to a longer and happier life. Married seniors can expect to live longer than their unmarried counterparts, are less likely to be lonely, and tend to be in better health.

While some seniors have sworn off dating, the Census data shows love is in the air. And online. Dating apps aren’t just for the young and restless – older Americans are swiping right, too. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, 13 percent of adults 65 and older are in on the digital action, and with more than 1,000 online dating platforms out there, seniors looking for love have an overwhelming number of options.

Source: seniorly.com, an online researcher of senior lifestyle trends and information on selecting senior living communities.

NOTE: this can be a sidebar, along with the Social listings from TTD

10 ways to find love

Online dating.

Swipe, chat, spark! Senior-friendly dating apps like eHarmony, OurTime, and SilverSingles can make it easy to jump back into the dating game. Start with a flirty chat, try a video call, and when you’re ready, meet up for that perfect coffee date.

Social Media and online hangouts.

Facebook groups, hobby forums, and virtual book clubs can lead to real-life romance.

Local fun and community events.

Bingo nights, dance classes, and senior socials? Yes, please! Travel groups and cruise adventures can also be full of heartwarming surprises.

Fitness and active lifestyles.

Love might await at yoga classes, walking groups, and pickleball courts. Parks and gyms are the new senior singles scene.

Giving back and volunteering.

Do good, meet good people. Volunteering at charities, hospitals, and community events naturally brings like-minded hearts together.

Senior living and retirement villages.

Home is where the heart is—literally! 55-plus communities offer activities (and chances for romance).

Travel and senior dating cruises.

Adventure + companionship = the perfect match! Cruises, road trips, and group tours set the stage for connections.

Faith and fellowship.

Church groups, Bible studies, and faith-based retreats bring singles together in soulful ways. Bonus: Dating sites such as ChristianMingle and JDate make it even easier.

Second careers and workplace love.

Encore careers and part-time gigs aren’t just for income—they’re for meeting new people, too. Co-working spaces and networking events can spark unexpected romance.

Speed dating and matchmaking.
Senior speed dating? Yes, it’s a thing. Quick chats, big laughs, and maybe even love. For a more curated match, professional services have your back.

Source: seniorly.com

The Senior Scene by — April 16, 2025 in Spotlight
Expert helps mushroom lovers get their fungi on

(Pictured: Button mushrooms are among the wild or market-bought mushrooms extolled by Chad Hyatt, a chef with an abundance of recipes for fungi cookery.)

Whether you’re a dedicated mushroom forager or you rely on the store or farmer’s market for your fungi fill, Chad Hyatt wants to help you can make the most of your mushroom haul with his upcoming book.

In “The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen,” which is scheduled for a July release by The Experiment Publishing, Hyatt, a professional chef and self-described mushroom foraging expert shares his favorite ‘shroom recipes, plus tips and techniques for cooking mushrooms safely and maximizing their flavor.

Hyatt hopes his guide to creating incredible meals (as well as snacks, preserves, and even desserts) helps foodies get the most out of the humble and ubiquitous button mushroom, the revered morel, the common oyster mushroom, the elusive huitlacoche, and everything in between.

Among his recipes and their categories are:

  • Preserves and condiments: Salted Mushrooms, Candy Cap Whole-Grain Mustard, Chanterelle Lemon Marmalade.
  • Breakfast: Matsutake Congee, Rosemary Buttermilk Biscuits with Mixed Mushroom Gravy.
  • Salads and Appetizers: Roasted Eggplant and Cauliflower Salad with Black Trumpet Vinaigrette, Spanish Tortilla with Potatoes and Mushrooms.
  • Soups and Stews: Porcini Chestnut Soup, Saffron–Milk Cap Stew with Pork Belly and Potatoes.
  • Hearty Entrées: Chicken Breast with Almondy Agaricus Pan Sauce, Blue Knight Ravioli.
  • Desserts: Matsutake, Pear, and Chestnut Strudel; Turkey Tail Sorbet.

Cooking with mushrooms doesn’t have to be intimidating, Hyatt says. Have pounds and pounds of shrooms to use up after a recent foraging excursion? Turn them into preserves using the techniques in the first chapter. Intrigued by a recipe, but prefer to stick to the varieties you can find at your local farmers’ market? No problem. His recipes offer substitutions for uncommon mushrooms, so they’re all within reach regardless of season or foraging experience.

In short, Hyatt is out to delight seasoned mushroom foragers, amateur fungi afficionados, and adventurous foodies alike.

As a classically trained chef, Hyatt has made a name for himself in northern California and beyond by sharing his spin on wild-mushroom cookery. He has cooked in a variety of restaurants and private clubs around the San Francisco Bay area, where he can also often be found hunting for mushrooms, putting on wild-mushroom-themed dinners, teaching mushroom-related classes, and attending mushroom festivals. He said he is passionate about cooking approachable comfort food based on local, seasonal ingredients, and, of course, wild mushrooms.

The Senior Scene by — April 16, 2025 in Food, People
What I’ve learned applying for passports

By Carl Dombek

After returning from a brief trip to Calgary in October and with no other international travel planned for the immediate future, I decided to submit my U.S. Passport for renewal. With a little less than a year of validity remaining, the time was right.
After trying – unsuccessfully – to renew my passport online, which the State Department now allows , I had a traditional passport photo taken, filled out and submitted the required passport renewal application (Form DS-82), wrote an old-school paper check, and sent everything in. Two days short of four weeks, I received my new passport, which is good until November 2034. My “house arrest” is over!

When we last renewed my wife’s passport in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, it took almost exactly two months. Today, the State Department says the average processing time for a passport renewal is four to six weeks, so State beat even its quickest estimate. Great news, but certainly not a record.

I obtained my first U.S. passport in May 1986. Coming up on three years as a reporter at KING-1090, a news-talk radio station in Seattle, it was my fondest hope that I would be sent somewhere – anywhere – as long as it required a passport to cover a story.
At that time, U.S. citizens could travel to Canada and Mexico without a passport, so I had farther-flung destinations in mind. My workday started at 5 a.m. and finished at 1 p.m., so one afternoon, armed with my birth certificate and Washington driver’s license, I went to the local Kinko’s, got a passport photo taken, then went to the Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle where I filled out my application for a passport.
While reviewing my application, the woman at the counter asked me where I was planning to travel. I responded (rather proudly, in fact) that, “I’m a reporter at KING-1090. I don’t have anywhere planned at this time but I want to be ready in case a big story breaks.” That satisfied her, she stamped it, and said it would be submitted for processing.
I don’t know what I expected, but what happened next definitely was not it.
When I went to our mailbox the next day, there was my passport! One. Day. A feat never to be equaled! I viewed my new passport as a ticket to whatever came along; hoping that adventure would be involved. 

When Operation Desert Shield commenced in August 1990 and military units from Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base were deployed to the Middle East, many noncombatants were being staged in nearby Jordan. I applied for a visa from the Hashemite Kingdom so that I could travel to the region and provide coverage.

Jordanian officials granted my request and issued a visa good for four years and “multiple” entries. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I never traveled to the war zone and didn’t actually use the visa. What coverage I engaged in was stateside and focused on the connections to Puget Sound.

I renewed passports in 1996, 2006, and 2015, so this is my fifth passport. For the last two, I have requested the “large” passport book with extra visa pages for “frequent international travelers.” Acts of purest optimism, I know, but hope springs eternal.
FYI, the large passport book has a generous 52 pages, while the standard contains only 28 pages for visa stamps and travel endorsements. And there is no additional cost for the larger book.
The new iteration of the passport carries a proviso: “If your passport expires within six months of your date of departure, you may be denied entry into some countries.” Many countries require a passport to be valid for six months after date of entry while others require only three months’ validity.
Bottom line: If you’re within a year of your expiration date, find a window of up to two months that works for you, and get the renewal process started. If you’re like me, you’ll enjoy the feeling of freedom once you have your newly renewed travel documents in hand and you’re ready to make your escape.

Carl Dombek, who lives in Seattle, is a retired journalist and a travel blogger. His website, thetravelpro.com, has news, reviews, and personal observations on upmarket travel.

The Senior Scene by — April 16, 2025 in Lifestyle, Home, Adventures