Senior citizens looking for the good life discover one of the West’s new frontiers
Bruno deLeeuw enjoys a brisk walk on the Clarkston Greenbelt under a canopy of golden leaves.
As he strides along in his favorite blue baseball cap through the colorful fall foliage beside the Snake River, he smiles and offers a hearty good morning to those he meets — and they return the greeting, sometimes stopping to chat about the weather or their four-legged companions.
It’s part of the charm of living in Clarkston, he says, and one of the reasons he and his wife moved here six years ago.
“This is a wonderful place to retire,” says deLeeuw, 79. “It’s pleasant to be here.”
The deLeeuws (pronounced de-LAY-os) are among a growing number of retirees who have ditched colder climes and larger cities to settle in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.
“We have gotten a lot more retired people lately,” says Marilyn Wilson of Tomlinson Black, who has sold real estate in the valley for more than 26 years.
“They come from California, Boise, Seattle and Portland because of the qua-lity of life, and they like the slower pace.”
That’s rings true for Nunzio Scordo, 74, who said good-bye to the hustle and bustle of Maui, Hawaii, and moved to Clarkston a year and a half ago because he likes the small-town atmosphere.
“I like the view, the peace and quiet and the weather. But the people really drew me here. People are very nice here. No matter where I go — the bank, the supermarket, the hardware store — they’re friendly.”
Renee Olsen, executive director of the Clarkston Chamber of Commerce, says about 1,800 information packets are mailed out of her office each year to people who are considering relocating to the area. About 75 percent go to retirees.
“I am amazed by the amount of research they do on great places for seniors, and this is one of the top places they pick.”
Wilson gets calls from all over the United States. “They want to know if we have earthquakes, floods and if we can drink the water.”
Retirees look at all the factors, she says, including which side of the river will be better for them financially. No income tax on the Washington side is a draw. “The Idaho state income tax is a very important factor.”
Art Johnstone, REALTOR
® with Tomlinson Black, calls this area a retirement oasis and says there is no downside to the boom.
Retirees pay more property taxes because they typically buy higher-priced homes in the community, he says.
“Former superintendents have told me they support schools.”
The influx of older residents has had some influence on housing prices, says Johnstone, but it’s not the only thing driving up the cost of homes.
“Real estate prices are controlled by supply and demand, and we are in short supply,” he says, “but we’ve also seen a tremendous increase in the prices of building materials and that’s had an effect on house prices.
“Retirees come here because the prices are considered low,” he adds.
“They get more house for less money,” Wilson agrees. “They also can play golf 11 months a year and fish and boat. It’s a beautiful area.”
In addition to the valley’s five golf courses, there are indoor tennis courts at Lewis-Clark State College and indoor pools, including the Asotin County Aquatics Center under construction in Clarkston.
Doug Tweedy, regional labor economist for the Idaho Commerce and Labor Department, says other than a small upswing in births, the senior population is the only age group in the valley that’s growing.
Projections indicate Asotin County’s 55 and older population will increase by about 11 percent over the next five years. In Nez Perce County, that age group is expected to grow by 12 percent.
The trend can be attributed to baby boomers growing older and retired newcomers moving into the area, Tweedy says.
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Scordo, a retired barber, says the explosion of people in southern California propelled him to leave Orange County after 23 years there. He settled in Hawaii for 14 years and ran into the same problem.
“California was so crowded, I moved out. Now Maui is getting crowded, too.”
The occasional inversion that creates the infamous valley aroma doesn’t phase Scordo. He gets a whiff once in awhile, but says it doesn’t pack as much punch as the volcanic smog he dealt with on the islands.
“The smell here doesn’t bother me. The vog (volcanic smog) from volcanic eruptions in Hawaii was worse.”
Scordo jokes he’s a little leery about spreading the word about the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, because he doesn’t want the same thing to happen here. “I don’t know if I want to tell people about this place, because they’ll all move here.”
When they settled in the valley, Scordo and his wife, who died in September, bought a new house across from Swallows Nest Park with views of the Snake River.
Now he spends his days working on his yard, tending the flowers, sight-seeing and visiting with friends. His three sons live in California, but Scordo plans to stay here.
“It’s very good for retired people, but I think it’s harder for younger people to move here because there aren’t many good-paying jobs.”
The community caters to older residents who have health care needs, he says.
Besides the area’s two hospitals, endoscopy, dialysis and outpatient orthopedic surgery centers have recently opened in the valley, along with an outpatient pain clinic and two optometry surgery centers.
“The medical services are very good,” Scordo says. “The doctors were very good to my wife.”
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The deLeeuws moved here from Pullman, and they say the valley is more affordable. They bought a small, two-bedroom house in downtown Clarkston for $79,000, and their home in Pullman cost $130,000.
“Cost of living is really important to us, because we live on fixed income,” Marlys says.
Marlys, 63, a registered nurse, was raised in Calgary, Canada, and Bruno, a former missionary and pastor, grew up in Holland before immigrating to Canada in 1952.
They spent many years in New Guinea as missionaries before returning to Canada, where their three children live. The closure of dozens of Alberta’s hospitals in 1995 prompted the deLeeuws to move to Pullman, where Marlys found work as a nurse.
They moved to Clarkston in 1998 because of the climate, friendly atmosphere and year-round access to walking trails by the river.
“It’s a very beautiful place,” Bruno says. “I can walk all year long and there are no icy hills. You get old, you don’t want to break a hip or something.”
The deLeeuws live on Sixth Street in downtown Clarkston, which suits them because they’re not fans of urban sprawl, long commutes or hopping in the car every time they need to go to the grocery store.
“Everyone wants their own little hilltop, but there are advantages to living downtown with all the restaurants, food stores and businesses,” Bruno says. “Everything is right here. We can walk almost everywhere we want to go.”
Marlys is impressed with the Snake River Community Clinic for people without medical insurance, local food banks and other organizations like the Community Action Agency that provide services to those in need.
“A lot of giving people live here,” she says. “It’s a community with a heart.”
Kerri Sandaine
Lewiston Tribune
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