While working on a humorous story the other night I received a text:
Lori: “ru walking the c2c tomorrow” (In text speak=”Are you walking the Cove to Clover race tomorrow?”)
Me: “Forgot all about it. What time?” (Notice my perfect punctuation, unlike my friend’s…)
I won’t bore you with the details of the 22 text messages discussing the C2C race. Why we didn’t just call each other is beyond me, because I’m really super slow at texting. I can just imagine Lori looking at her cell phone impatiently and wondering about the ten minutes between each text.
Here I am getting "treated" by Mr. Handsome EMT.
Next order of business—my Cove to Clover race day attire. Something green, comfortable, and zany, because since I certainly won’t be fast, I may as well be fun.
Tom, my husband and our chauffeur dropped us off near the top of Snake Hill. Mr. Big and Mr. Small (sporting their green scarves) yapped and marked everything in sight and checked several ‘pee-mails’ for good measure. Neither of us wanted to fight the crowds (or walk down, then up Snake Hill) so we started walking and talking. Less than 50 feet into our walk (we’re in the enviable position of first place because the race hasn’t actually started), and I notice my hand is bleeding. I’m not kidding. Fortunately the medic truck is right in front of us. Lori watches as Mr. Big and Mr. Small take advantage of the situation and tangle their leashes. Perhaps Lori will fall over the tangled leashes and scrape her knee. She is looking rather envious of all the attention I am receiving from Mr. Handsome—the medic.
Another 50 feet puts us in front of the first drink stop. Naturally, we’re their first customers because the real runners have yet to make it up Snake Hill. At this point my dear friend is becoming rather exasperated with my slow pace, although I assure her I’m just getting into my rhythm. We’ve just reached a perfect walking synchronicity when shouts alert us to the first runner.
And then he’s gone. We barely had time to dash to the side of the road before he breezed past us. I must say his outfit was rather brief but then maybe real runners actually need to dress light in order to run faster. I wouldn’t know but I’m pretty sure my yellow and green lady bug top would hamper my running ability. And need I say—it was so hard to focus on the task at hand—walking, when there were distractions everywhere.
Young folk, old folk, stroller baby folk, big dogs, small dogs, costumed dogs, you name it, they were all there. All 950 of them, running for a charitable cause. Last year it rained costumed cats and dogs and the run was still a huge success.
Burien has come a long way in the 20 years that I’ve lived here. You can call it Beercan or B-Town. I call it home.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We’d like to extend a hearty “cngrts” (Text Speak for “Congratulations”) to Shawn, who will be releasing her first book this spring, called “Mommy Are we French Yet?“
We’ll be posting more on this exciting news, but for now here’s a blurb on it:
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to live in another country for a year with your children, in Mommy, Are We French Yet? you will discover that it is not an insurmountable task. But it’s made doubly rewarding when the day-to-day chores and challenges are approached with humor. Shawn Underwood moved her family, her husband and three kids along with her sister’s family, to the south of France to experience the joys and frustrations of living abroad first hand.
Whether running headlong into the language barrier, where faux pas are a given and the best way to communicate is with a smile or just trying to shop at the local market, keeping a sense of humor is the key to overseas success! As she and her extended family travel in France and throughout Europe and Egypt among other countries, they learned that being a good ambassador for your country is worth its weight in gold. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions!
Come along with Shawn and her family as they learn to embrace the local culture, even if it means eating pig intestines or trying to cook turkey American style. Whatever happens, the chocolate is sublime in any language!
Twenty-five years of living in Burien gives Humorist Shawn Underwood much fodder for her writings.
All of her stories are true, or at least have a grain of truth with no added embellishments.
Or something like that.
Read more of her humor at her website here.
| Mar |
| 12 |
| 3:00 pm |
“Images of America: Three Tree Point,” a locally-written book we’ve previously reported on, has finally been released and will be on sale for just $20 each at a book-signing party at The Tin Room this Friday, March 12th beginning at 3pm.
Longtime residents-turned-authors Doug Shadel and Pam and Guy Harper will be autographing and selling books, as well as sharing anecdotes in the back of the Tin Room (923 SW 152nd in Olde Burien; 242-8040), at a historic table made from the old wooden sign from the Three Tree Point store.
This should be a lively event full of historic stories and interesting photos, as well as a way to acknowledge a nice success story for these local folks.
Here are some more excerpt photos and captions from the book:
When Native American and early explorers approached Three Tree Point from the north, this would have been their view. The long, flat point jutting out into Puget Sound is visible from West Point beyond Elliot Bay and from Poverty Bay near Redondo. The first home was build by Linden Irwell Gregory, a native of Lancashire, England, about 1902 and is probably the one that is visible in this photograph. (Gordon Peek.)
One of the first display ads taken out by the Three Tree Point Company in the Seattle Mail and Herald on July 3, 1903, advertised the new community to the public. The Seattle Mail and Herald went out of business in 1905.
This 1936 schedule shows the frequency of the Suburban Transportation System's bus service at Three Tree Point. In those days, a person didn't need a car to travel between Three Tree Point and Seahurst, Burien, or Seattle, as there was service throughout the day.
In 1969, KVI Radio personality Robert Hardwick announced and event called the Dinghy and Survival Derby. This boat race started in Ballard, proceeded through the ship canal and locks, and into Shilshole Bay. Several fellows from Three Tree Point entered a raft called "The Lusty Wench" from the nonexistent Three Tree Point "Yaught Club." Dressed in nightgowns from left to right are David Puckett, Guy Harper (one of the authors), Richard Anderson, William Wintermute, and Robert Cole. This fine craft consisted of a bed with life cushions. Their raft won first place – a year's supply of Dag's 17-cent hamburgers and $50, which they used to start the real Three Tree Point Yacht Club.
“Images of America: Three Tree Point” is available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.
| Mar |
| 12 |
| 3:00 pm |
As we previously reported, “Images of America: Three Tree Point,” a locally-written book about one of Burien’s historic waterfront neighborhoods, is being released Monday (March 8th), and its authors will be holding a book-signing party at The Tin Room on Friday, March 12th beginning at 3pm.
Longtime residents-turned-authors Doug Shadel and Pam and Guy Harper will be autographing and selling these rich, historical books full of unique and rare photos at the 3pm+ signing for just $20 (Amazon charges $21.99). Visitors will also be able to ask questions or share anecdotes about this neighborhood with these folks, who have a passion for and incredibly deep knowledge about the entire area.
Fittingly, the authors will be stationed in the back of the Tin Room (located at 923 SW 152nd in Olde Burien; 242-8040), at a historic table made from the old wooden sign from the Three Tree Point store – how perfect is that?
This new book includes more than 200 vintage photographs chronicling the history of Burien’s unique beachfront community, and these good creative folks have been working hard on this project for well over a year, so this will be a big day for them – reason enough we say to drop by and show your support! Also, we’re lucky enough to have read an advance copy of it, and we think it’s just fantastic – chock full of great, never-before-seen photos (at least to us) with informative and incredibly interesting captions that make it a local “must read.”
They’ve also been kind enough (along with Arcadia Publishing) to allow us to excerpt some “sneak peek” photos and captions from the book, which we present below (we’ll be posting more excerpts soon, so check back often) – did you know that two large saltwater lagoons once filled an area at the point?:
High tides and storms filed two saltwater lagoons in a low area just inside the point. The larger of the two had a circumference of 1,800 feet. Looking across the lagoon from the south, one can see a mound that Native Americans may have used as a burial ground. The prominent trees could be the ones that gave the point its name.
Beyond this view of the lagoon is a road going along the north side of the point, and by 1905 it was 20 feet wide. The lagoon was later filled with sand from a quarry at the east end of 171st Street. This part of the street is high above the point, and the sand was moved down the hill by means of a metal flume.
“Images of America: Three Tree Point” is available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.
| Mar |
| 8 |
Longtime Burien residents Doug Shadel and Pam and Guy Harper have written a historical book about Three Tree Point, which is being released March 8th by Arcadia Publishing.
This new book, which is priced at $21.99, includes more than 200 vintage photographs chronicling the history of Burien’s beachfront community, and these good creative folks have been working on this project for well over a year.
We hope to be doing in-depth interviews with the authors soon, along with publishing some excerpts and photos from the book.
There will most certainly be a local book signing soon, so stay tuned to The B-Town Blog for updates.
Books may be purchased directly from the Authors, and will be autographed. Interested parties should call the Harpers at (206) 242-4144 for an early delivery. You can also click below to pre-order the book online through Amazon.com:
Here’s the press release, sent out by Arcadia Publishing on Tuesday, Feb. 16th:
Discover the History of Three Tree Point
New Book Traces the History of the Point Through Vintage ImagesNew from Arcadia Publishing and local authors Doug Shadel and Pam and Guy Harper, is Three Tree Point. This latest volume of the Images of America series is filled with more than 200 vintage images chronicling the history of Three Tree Point.
Three Tree Point is a prominent peninsula on the eastern shore of Puget Sound about 14 miles south of Seattle. Its name came from three massive fir trees that stood on the north side of the point at the beginning of the 20th century. The area remained largely undeveloped until 1903 when the Three Tree Point Company began marketing the community as a place to build summer homes. Seattle’s business elite built houses at the point to take advantage of the beach lifestyle for which it has become known. Over the years, Three Tree Point and its 2.5 miles of waterfront emerged as one of the Northwest’s most unique residential communities. Its history is a diverse mixture of family life, unusual characters, Fourth of July celebrations, shipwrecks, fishing derbies, and storytelling.
Highlights of Three Tree Point:
- Includes a Pulitzer Prize winning photo.
- Features never before published images including some from Asahel Curtis.
- Tells stories of the Point from shacks to mansions and residents past and present.
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.
And here’s Amazon’s description (Click here to order: “Three Tree Point (Images of America)”
Product Description
Three Tree Point is a prominent peninsula on the eastern shore of Puget Sound about 14 miles south of Seattle. Its name came from three massive fir trees that stood on the north side of the point at the beginning of the 20th century. The area remained largely undeveloped until 1903 when the Three Tree Point Company began marketing the community as a place to build summer homes. Seattle’s business elite built houses at the point to take advantage of the beach lifestyle for which it has become known. Over the years, Three Tree Point and its 2.5 miles of waterfront emerged as one of the Northwest’s most unique residential communities. Its history is a diverse mixture of family life, unusual characters, Fourth of July celebrations, shipwrecks, fishing derbies, and storytelling.About the Author
Pam and Guy Harper’s families have been residents of Three Tree Point for generations, and the couple has an intimate knowledge of the history, culture, and lifestyles of the people who have lived there. Doug Shadel is also a resident of Three Tree Point and an author of five previous books on a variety of topics. Numerous residents of the point generously contributed to this book by donating pictures from their personal collections.
Story by Rachel M. Lusby
Photos by Jim Branson
Longtime local business, Burien Books, is up for sale.
Burien Books was owned and operated by Virginia Pearce for 50 years. Pearce passed away recently at the age of 96 (read Jim Branson’s tribute to her here) and now the bookstore is being placed for sale by her nephew Joe Wisen.
“It’s a part of the estate,” Wisen said. “I cannot keep it running.” Wisen says he has other businesses of his own to run.
Burien Books is located at 643 SW 152nd St. and has been a staple in the community. One customer says she can find the books she needs for her book club, even when she cannot find them at bigger bookstore chains.
The last five or six years, Wisen says, Pearce was “getting tired.” He said she started to do things she enjoyed like working in her garden and bringing things into the store to decorate instead of dealing with the business aspect of things.
Marian Floyd has worked at Burien Books for 17 years and thinks the store may be the oldest one in the area to be owned by one person. “Even the feed store has changed owners,” she said.
Never having been modernized, the bookstore has used a wooden drawer that predates even the oldest of cash registers. It has sections for quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies and sections for paper money but no buttons.
The late Virginia Pearce used this wooden cash register up until the day she passed away.
Floyd said Virginia believed this had worked just fine for 50 years and there was no need for any “modern contraptions.” They do not even use a calculator. The store does take credit cards but uses a hand-operated card swiper with carbon paper.
Floyd says the bookstore has mostly repeat customers and a great reputation in the town.
“We brought our children here and now they’re bringing their children,” she said. “People don’t want to go to a bigger bookstore.”
Wisen says there have been some people to show interest in buying the store, but nobody who has been real enthusiastic. He has posted the sale on sites like craigslist.com, and has run ads in the Seattle Times and other local publications. He hopes the store will be sold and maintained.
“I would hope they would keep it open,” Wisen said. “It’s been there a long time.”
Wisen says the store has a large customer base but if it does not sell soon, he will have to close it down. “I think they [customers] will be disappointed.”
Floyd says there are many customers who come in “just to chat.”
“They like a place where they can come in and the employees know their names.”
If the store were to sell, Floyd strongly feels it would be updated.
“It will be modernized,” she said. “That is probably a good thing, actually.”
Floyd foresees there being computers involved and maybe some online sales and purchases from and by the store. She also hopes they would implement things such as “book readings, author signings, and childrens’ story times.”
If you’re interested in purchasing this page in Burien’s history, contact Joe Wisen at j.pacrim@yahoo.com or phone him at (206) 246-2725.
Dr. Arun Jhaveri is the first Mayor of Burien. He is a physicist and mechanical engineer, recently co-authoring the book “Carbon Reduction: Policies, Strategies and Technologies.”
He stayed in touch, through email and telephone, with several colleagues who attended the recently completed United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
We asked Dr. Jhaveri to provide his thoughts on the conference.
He kindly obliged with this synopsis:
One must consider the following three separate yet inter-connected three-pronged/triad elements, that holistically encompass Global Climate Change:
- Inter-relationship among Energy, Environment, and Economy (the three E’s)
- Three groups of critical participant nations – Developed/Industrialized, Developing/Emerging, and Less Developed/Poor/Most Vulnerable
- Time-line of Global Climate Change history – Past, Present, and Future
Based on my knowledge and understanding of what happened these past two weeks in Copenhagen, it is absolutely clear that thousands of delegates representing the United Nations’ 193 members, appear to be vocal, determined, outspoken, scared, excited, frustrated, optimistic, enthusiastic, and hopeful that somehow or some way, a consensus would result from their extremely hard work through forceful negotiations, which could become a meaningful roadmap/action plan to significantly reduce the current greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, impacting billions of our earth/planet inhabitant’s future survival and associated quality of life – a truly tall order for this extremely complex, science-dependent, universal phenomenon.
As it turned out, the legally non-binding Final Agreement/Understanding among the major political leaders, fell far short of the desired high expectations. However, based on the past 17 years of very impressive history of the United Nations’ journey from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, to 1997 Kyoto Climate Change Protocol in Japan, to 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, to 2009 Copenhagen, Denmark’s Post-Kyoto Global Climate Change Treaty Negotiations, it is absolutely remarkable that notwithstanding the unprecedented multicultural diversity, socio-economic variations, degrees of growth & development, differences in science-based vulnerabilities, and unified desire to urgently work towards realistic & quantifiable assessment, mitigation, and adaptation re global climate change, the Copenhagen Declaration has succeeded in marshaling the absolutely critical political, financial, technical, educational, and social framework to move forward, based on mutual trust, respect, communication, coordination, as well as cooperation.
The long and difficult path ahead will surely require hundreds of thousands of decision makers, scientists, community activists, academicians, and business/industry leaders to work together to make sure that the global temperature rise does NOT exceed 2 degrees Centigrade or 3.5 degree Fahrenheit atmospheric temperature from the emitting greenhouse gases and/or the equivalent carbon quantity remains less than 350 parts per million, both in the near future through 2020 as well as long term by 2050, when the world’s population is expected to increase from some 6.5 billion now to nearly10 billion.
This extremely optimistic goal or tall order can be accomplished via very promising Energy Efficiency Technologies, Renewable Energy Sources, Life cycle cost-Effective Financing Mechanisms, Creative & Innovative Clean/Green Business Practices, On-going Awareness, Education & Training, and Periodic Exchanges of Ideas, Expertise, and Verifiable Information.
As an Eternal Optimist with many years of practical experience in Energy, Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change, Economics, Governance, and Leadership, I am more than convinced that the world as a whole would rise to take on the Copenhagen Challenge for not only the survival of the current generation but also to leave a beneficial legacy for future generations to come.
Therefore, we all must begin now, since it takes a Village.
- Dr. Arun Jhaveri
For our previous coverage of Dr. Jhaveri, click here.
by Marilee A. Cogswell
Manager,
Burien Library
Happy Holidays to each and every one of our fine bookworms out there!
Can you believe it’s almost 2010? (and isn’t that the “Year We Make Contact“?)
Please note that all King County Libraries will be closed on Thursday, December 24th and Friday, December 25th for the Christmas Holidays.
Also, all King County Libraries will also close at 5pm on Thursday, December 31st for New Year’s Eve and remain closed on Friday, January 1st 2010, New Year’s Day.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Burien Library Guild is now sponsoring the ongoing book sale at the Boulevard Park Library. Bring your donations of gently used books to the Boulevard Park Library, all sales collected from this book sale will be used to sponsor programs at the Boulevard Park Library.
The Burien Library Guild continues to sell used books in their ongoing sale at the Burien Library as well.
The Guild is also selling ‘Book Lover’s Calendar’ 2010 for $8 each at the Burien Library – a great bargain and a wonderful gift!
The King County Library System selection department has put together a list of the Best Books of 2009 - check it out here.
PROGRAMS:
Burien Library:
- Opera Preview : Verdi’s ‘ll Trovatore’ presented by Norm Hollingshead
- Wednesday December 23th beginning at 7pm
- Sponsored by the Burien Library Guild
Visit http://www.kcls.org/events/opera.cfm for a complete list of Opera Preview times and locations.
- Holiday Magic, for children ages 5 and older.
Thursday December 31st beginning at 11am
Sponsored by the Burien Library Guild.
White Center Library:
- Fiestas – Early Literacy Parties in Spanish
December 10th & 17th 6:30pm-8pm
The ‘Fiestas’ are workshops designed for Spanish-speaking families to prepare their children for Kindergarten. Las ‘Fiestas’ son talleres disenadow para los padres hispanos que preparan a sus hijos para el Kindergartern
Sponsored by the KCLS Foundation
Visit http://www.kcls.org/programs/ for a complete list of programs throughout the library system.
BRANCH LOCATIONS:
- Burien Library – 400 SW 152nd St Burien (206.243.3490)
- White Center Library – 11220 16th SW (206.243.0233)
- Boulevard Park Library- 12015 Roseberg Ave S (206.242.8662)
- Greenbridge Library -9720 8th Ave SW (206.762.1682)
BOOK REVIEW:
“My Dream of You” by Nuala O’Faolain
When middle aged travel writer Kathleen de Burca returns to her native Ireland to research a scandalous love affair between a landlord’s wife and an Irish peasant during the potato famine she finds herself examining her own desires and needs as passion comes to her in the form of a married man.
The story is both an historical account of Irish history and a contemporary novel.
Wonderful, sad, uplifting.
Fiction.
Until next time…see you in the stacks!
Marilee A. Cogswell is the Manager of the Burien Library.
| Oct ’09 |
| 12 |
| 7:00 pm |
Heard of Speed Dating? How about Read Dating?The King County Library System is hosting an evening of fun, books and possibly romance at 7pm on Monday, Oct. 12th at Elliott Bay Brewhouse & Pub in Burien.
Here are the details:
WHAT: Read Dating event for singles who love to read
WHEN: Monday, Oct. 12th at 7pm
WHERE: Elliott Bay Brewhouse & Pub 255 SW 152nd Street, Burien, WA 98166 Across the street from the new Burien Library
Dr. Pepper Schwarz will host "Read Dating."
INFO: Test your compatibility with others by discussing the books you like to read!
Read Dating (noun)–a method of meeting a potential romantic partner by attending an organized event in which a person meets a series of individuals and talks briefly to each of them about a favorite book.
– Macmillan Online Dictionary
The events will be hosted by Dr. Pepper Schwartz, relationship expert for a leading relationship website and professor of Sociology at the University of Washington.
Register online at www.kcls.org or call the Burien Library at 206.243.3490.
The first 50 people who register for each program will receive a copy of Schwarz’ book “Finding Your Perfect Match.”
Reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities is available; please contact the library prior to the event if you require accommodation.
“A LOVE STORY” PHOTO CREDIT:
| Sep ’09 |
| 11 |
| 5:30 pm |
BTB Advertiser Vino Bello is holding a special Book Signing & Wine Tasting on Friday, Sept. 11th from 5:30pm to 8:30pm with Author Neil Low, who will be signing his new book “Sign of the Dragon.”
Neil Low is a captain with the Seattle Police Department and the agency’s first commander of its new Ethics and Professional Responsibility Section. Other areas he has commanded include: Homicide and Violent Crimes, Internal Affairs, and Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. He is a Vietnam veteran and a cum laude graduate of the University of Washington’s Bothell campus, where he also wrote for the school’s weekly newspaper, The UW Bothell Commons. A Seattle native, he now lives in Everett with his wife and three daughters.
Author Neil Low is a Captain for the Seattle Police Dept.
Here’s a synopsis of “Sign of the Dragon”:
1940 – The eve of WWII. Imperial Japan threatens to conquer Asia and the entire Pacific Theatre. Supplies and support are flowing into the region. Vital to this effort is the city of Seattle. But now, its crucial role in the supply chain is beginning to attract the interest of some shadowy and exotic international forces… Following a tip from his mentor Vic Morrison, young Alan Stewart uses his detective skills to track down Tiger Lee, a sexy American operative on a mission to disrupt the Japanese spy network. Working together, the two set out to eliminate the head of their Japanese rivals: a dangerous samurai whose movements are shrouded in mystery. What begins as a hunt for justice quickly turns into a maelstrom of revenge—and a race against the clock as politics becomes personal and loyalties are tested from every side. Returning to the scene of his first novel, Thick as Thieves, author Neil Low, proves once again that in the shadowy underbelly of a city nothing is as it first appears, and what you don’t know just might hurt you after all….
Here’s a review:
“Here’s the first thing I can tell you about Neil Low’s new novel: There are strong women herein. If you don’t like strong women or stories about them, find another book. The mood of this tale reminds me of the foggy, black and white crime movies of the period before World War II, and that’s not accidental. It’s clear that the author has extensively researched the Seattle of that era and makes that time real to his readers with deft, subtle touches. This story may humor you, and it’s likely to get your juices flowing. But perhaps most importantly, it’s going to make you think, because it has more twists and turns than the catacombs under Chinatown, which Low describes so vividly. And here is something else I can tell you: You will have to wonder if Low’s catacombs are real or if they are stuff of legend and myth. “Ay, there’s the rub,” as someone else who knew a thing or two about telling a good story once wrote.” –Lowen Clausen Author of The River, and First Avenue.
For more information on Neil Low, check out his website here.
Vino Bello is located at 636 SW 152nd St – F in Burien; (206) 244-VINO. For more information, check out their website here.
A new book recapping over 100 years of life at Burien’s Three Tree Point is now in the developmental and research stage by husband and wife authors and longtime residents Guy and Pam Harper.
Beginning with the early Native American days, Three Tree Point (aka “Point Pulley”) was used extensively for meeting areas, feasts and potlatches. It provided an excellent stop over point for the Native canoes when traveling between the northern and southern Puget Sound waters as the area was particularly abundant with fresh water, clams, salmon and fine camping grounds.
In later years, many steamboats from the Mosquito Fleet made Three Tree Point one of the major stops along Puget Sound. Soon, summer homes were built along the shore as many folks realized that this area was very enjoyable for recreation and relaxation.
The TTP book authors are searching for pictures dating back to the early 1900’s thru the 1970’s. The intent is to gather pictures, letters and
verbal histories – categorize them and publish those selected in a history book involving just Three Tree Point. The book will be offered for sale from various sources.
This is a call for anyone to respond to the quest for this early data for the purposes of including the information in the final book. If you or your parents or friends have any pictures or events of this sort and want to share them, please email guyharper@comcast.net or call 206-242-4144 with such information.
It is interesting that many residents already look forward to an historical record of Three Tree Point.
| May ’09 |
| 6 |
| 6:00 pm |
That’s New York Times best-selling Author Robert Dugoni above on the left, along with Burien businessman Dan House, right. Dugoni has incorporated the Burien area into his latest novel, “Wrongful Death,” including this pivotal scene set in House’s The Tin Room:
Dugoni will be celebrating his creative ties to Burien with a reading and book-signing party at The Tin Room at 6pm on Wednesday, May 6th.
We recently caught up with Dugoni, along with longtime Burien resident and businessman Dan House (aka “Dan the Sausageman,” and yes, his name was purposely misspelled in the book as “Hause”), and spoke with both about Burien, writing, and the importance of using authentic locations in a story.
House asked Dugoni why he chose to set the novel’s main character David Sloane’s home in Burien, and why he included The Tin Room.
“Burien is a very interesting place,” Dugoni said as he sipped an iced tea. “On one hand you’ve got this relatively remote, rich area with gorgeous views and beautiful waterfront homes, while just up and over the hill there are pockets of poverty. I just love the contrast, and the possibilities it allows for a mystery are tremendous.”
Author Robert Dugoni laughs as he unwraps his "teen idol" publicity poster.
Another reason Dugoni may have decided to include The Tin Room could be because it’s located next to House’s other retail business, “Dan the Sausageman.”
“One time I was driving through Burien and I saw this odd red neon sign that said ‘Dan the Sausage‘ and I just had to stop,” Dugoni laughed. “I parked, went inside and spoke with an older woman (Dan’s Mom Chirlee) who pointed out that the sign actually read ‘Sausageman‘ but because it was bent to go around a corner it looked like it only said ‘Dan the Sausage.’ I thought that was very unusual. Then I ate at The Tin Room and that was it.”
Dugoni, who makes his home in Kirkland, has family ties in Burien and often spends summer days down on the beach at Three Tree Point. This is his third novel, with the previous two being “The Jury Master” and “Damage Control.”
Here’s the synopsis for Wrongful Death, along with some early reviews:
Acclaimed attorney David Sloane (from the New York Times Bestseller, The Jury Master) agrees to take on a wrongful-death claim with a strong emotional tug. Beverly Ford, the widow of a national guardsman killed in Iraq is convinced her husband perished under nefarious circumstances. Sloane soon learns that established case law makes the prospect of victory over the federal government nearly impossible. When Sloane discovers that other members of Ford’s platoon have died under suspicious circumstances since returning to the U.S., he suspects a conspiracy to conceal the truth. In a battle for justice, Sloane must keep himself, and those he loves, from becoming the next casualties.
Mixing the suspense of a Grisham legal thriller with the political angle of a Baldacci. Dugoni is knocking on the A-list thriller door.
- BooklistPage-turning action…
- Publishers WeeklyAn entertaining thriller. Good guys to like, villains to hiss, windmills to attack.
- Kirkus
And here’s a publicity video produced for publisher Simon & Schuster that showcases some Burien areas – see if you can identify any:
Here’s Dugoni’s bio:
Robert Dugoni was born in Pocatello, Idaho and raised in Burlingame, California. Growing up the middle child in a family of ten siblings, Dugoni jokes that he didn’t get much of a chance to talk, so he wrote. By the seventh grade he knew he wanted to be a writer.
Dugoni wrote his way to Stanford University where he majored in communications/journalism and creative writing and worked as a reporter for the Stanford Daily. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and worked briefly as a reporter in the Metro and San Gabriel Valley Offices of the Los Angeles Times before deciding to attend the UCLA law school. Dugoni practiced law full-time in San Francisco as a partner at the law firm, Gordon and Rees and is currently of counsel for a law firm in Seattle.
While practicing law he satisfied his artistic thirst studying acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, appearing in equity and non-equity shows throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. His longing to return to writing never wavered, however, and in 1999 he made the decision to quit the full-time practice of law to write novels. On the 4-year anniversary of his wedding, he drove a u-haul trailer across the Oregon-Washington border and settled in Seattle to pursue his dream.
For the next three years, Dugoni worked in an 8 x 8 foot windowless office in Seattle’s Pioneer Square to complete three novels, two of which won the 1999 and 2000 Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association Literary Contests.
by Marilee A. Cogswell
Manager,
Burien Library
Happy Spring my sprouting B-Town Bookworms from your Empress of Information!
LIBRARY CARD CONTEST:
Create the next new Library Card!
That’s right – your art can grace the new library cards, so get busy!
Winners will be announced May 29th, and there are three levels of competition:
- Elementary, Grades 3 and up
- Middle School/Junior High
- High School
Entries may be submitted until April 30, 2009.
Winners will be selected by a panel of children’s and teen librarians and other KCLS staff.
Each winner receives a $100.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble-funded by the King County Library System Foundation.
Check out www.kcls.org/librarycardcontest/ for all the details
DID YOU KNOW?
From the KCLS Homepage you can access practice tests for the WASL and SAT tests.
We have partnered with Brainfuse to offer this new online tutoring service.
Visit www.brainfuse.com for all the details.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS:
- Saturday, April 4th at 1pm: ‘Recess Monkey’ Live! Will Hop Bump and Bounce into Spring! All ages. Sponsored by the Burien Library Guild
- Wednesday, April 29th 10:30am: ‘Nursery Rhymes & Tales’ Puppeteer Peter Allen tells the story of ‘The Little Duckling Who Couldn’t Quack’ All ages. Sponsored by the Burien Library Guild.
- To see our entire list of upcoming events and programs, click here.
Visit the KCLS Programs page for a complete list of programs throughout the Library System.
BOOK REVIEW:
“Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America” by Erik Larson.
A true ‘thriller’ in every sense of the word!
Local writer Erik Larson’s research illuminates the genius behind the innovative 1893 Chicago ‘World Columbian Exposition’.
Daniel H. Burnham, architect of the fair, was responsible for the construction of the famous ‘White City’ around which the fair was built. There were numerous obstacles, including the death of this partner, that had to be overcome.
At the time the Exposition was going on another sort of genius was busy in Chicago as well – serial murderer, H.H. Holmes, was entrapping young women in his home and executing them in a sealed room while he watched them die.
Larson weaves these two stories together as skillfully as any novelist, but the difference here is that these two stories really happened.
Absolutely gripping!
Comes in large print, on CD and is available for download as an ebook from the KCLS homepage as well.
See you in the stacks!
Marilee A. Cogswell is the Manager of the Burien Library.
| Dec ’08 |
| 13 |
| 12:00 pm |
Burien's Alexander Sasonoff grew up in "Rat City" and lived to write about it.
Recently we’ve been posting excerpts from longtime Burien resident, architect, artist and now author Alexander Sasonoff’s recently-published autobiography called “Growing Up in Rat City and Beyond.”
Also note that Mr. Sasonoff will be holding a book signing at the Elliott Bay Brewhouse & Pub on Saturday, Dec. 13th, from Noon to 5pm. The address is 255 SW 152nd Street in downtown Burien.
Here’s part three of “Growing Up in Rat City and Beyond”
Part III: White Center Businesses and Amusements
Walter Coy owned and operated the only theatre in White Center called Coy’s Center Theatre. When he first started, he operated out of a storefront space next to Olberg’s Drug Store. Later he built a nice theatre on Roxbury St. between 16th and 17th S.W. Mr. Coy always said his profit margins were better selling popcorn than what he took in through the ticket window. On Saturdays there was a continuing serial that never seemed to end. The hero or heroine was always left in a near-death situation at the end of each episode that prompted one to come the next Saturday to see what happened.
Oren Artlip had a meat market and grocery store on the N.E. corner of 16th S.W. and 98th Street. He participated in the annual celebrations called White Center Days. Oren would provide a side of beef for roasting over a fire pit, which slowly turned on a spit. Later in the evening it would be carved and served to anyone willing to pay the plate price. With no money in pocket, I was just a drooling bystander.
I attended a small church on Holden Street where Oren taught a Sunday school class. He made us memorize all the books of the Bible and various verses. After I was discharged from the Army in 1951, I enrolled at the University of Washington to study architecture on the GI Bill. I received a stipend of $75 a month for expenses. It was never enough and Oren would let me charge my groceries at his store. At the end of the month when I received my check, I promptly paid him. It was very kind of him to help me through my five years of study in the School of Architecture.
All kinds of events took place during the White Center Days celebration. A boxing ring was set up and participants were encouraged to get into the ring blindfolded, one hand tied behind their back and the other hand was fitted with a 16-ounce boxing glove. It was usually a bunch of younger guys that were coaxed into the ring. When 8 or so volunteers were put together they entered the ring. At the sound of the bell everyone started flailing about trying to knock someone down. Once down, you had to get out of the ring. The last one standing won a monetary prize of around two dollars. One such event I remember well. A kid named Royce Natole was very short and ended up in the ring with some big guys. He was a feisty redhead with a face that was covered with large red freckles. The big guys kept swinging over the top of him. It got down to Royce and one of the big Ridley brothers. Royce couldn’t knock the big guy down and Ridley kept flailing the air over his head. He finally took the thumb of his 16-ounce glove and raised his blindfold and then popped Royce with a blow knocking Royce out of the ring.
Since my friends and I were always short of money, we devised a plan to sneak into the theatre. Located behind the building was an exit near the screen where heavy curtains blocked the light that might come in whenever the door was opened. We would knock on the exit door outside and some kid would sneak over and let us in. Crawling under the seats toward the lobby, we would pop up slowly in some empty seats somewhere in the middle of the theater. This went on for weeks until one day we got caught. We were all hauled up to the lobby, ostensibly to be reprimanded. To our surprise, the big brother of one of our friends was working as the manager. He just talked to us and then let us back into the movie but from then on, we found ways to earn enough money to pay our way.
While Oren’s Market was of good size, the surrounding neighborhoods were dotted with Mom and Pop grocery stores. I can think of about eight within a six-block radius of our home. There were no big superstores like we have today so all weekday shopping was done at the store closest to home, which in our case was Martha’s Grocery store. Saturdays, however, were reserved for a trip downtown to the Pike Place Market. Years later, the biggest store I’d ever seen was built by Safeway on the corner of 16th and Roxbury. It was the talk of the town for it was the first supermarket with grocery carts and checkout stands and for all of us who only knew the Mom and Pop stores, miles of shelves filled with every food product imaginable. It was new and very special.
There were no television sets or portable phones in those days so we would listen to our favorite radio programs in the evenings. They came one after another over the span of two or three hours—Terry and the Pirates, Little Orphan Annie, The Shadow, The Green Hornet, Popeye, The Lone Ranger and many others. It was easy to be so entertained. The wonderful thing about these programs is you had to use your imagination—unlike today where everything is visual. However one program my father wouldn’t allow us to listen to was Gang Busters. He was opposed to violence of any kind.
At the gas station located just around the corner from our house, a big event to watch was the arrival of the Gilmore gas tanker. The giant truck was highly polished and elaborately decorated with all kinds of banners and flags and pictures of lions. It was like watching the circus roll into town. The driver would employ a great deal of drama as he set out to entertain the crowd of young boys that would gather to watch. He would drag out the hoses and proceed to fill the underground tanks as we kids ran up to touch the truck and marvel at all the colorful banners.
The pumps that were used to dispense gas had a glass cylinder with measurements marking the number of gallons set on top of a metal one and gas was pumped by hand up into this glass container so that one could see how much gas he was about to purchase. This had to be done by the mechanic on duty or by one of the ladies working in the grocery store. When the proper measure of fuel appeared, it then flowed by gravity through a hose inserted into your tank or container. The hose formed a loop so when it was put back into the holder, there was always some gas left in the loop of the hose. The pumps were locked up at night, with some gas always left in that loop. This excess fuel caused a near disaster, as I will explain later in my story.
You can own your very own full copy of “Growing Up in Rat City and Beyond”
Also, if you’re a local history buff, have you considered joining the Highline Historical Society? We’re members, and we encourage all our Readers to join this great non-profit today!
View Larger Map
by Marilee A. Cogswell
Manager,
Burien Library
Greetings again Dear Readers from your very own Burien Library’s Empress of Information™!
I am certain that, like me, you’re all very thankful this time of year for all the goodness contained within.
I’m speaking of course about “within” hardcovers, softcovers and other covers used to contain excellent reading materials like you’ll find at your very own Burien Library.
What did you think I meant?
I don’t normally shout, but this is important (yet oh-so-obvious):
ALL KING COUNTY LIBRARIES WILL BE CLOSED THURSDAY NOV. 27TH FOR THANKSGIVING DAY!
Hey, did you know that the new Greenbridge Library is NOW Open! It’s located at 9720 8th Ave SW in White Center – visit it in person or check out this website for details on the grand opening.
Greenbridge Library’s hours are:
- Monday-Wednesday 11am-6pm
- Thursday 1-8pm
- Saturday 12-4pm
- Closed Fridays & Sundays
DID YOU KNOW?
You can access thousands of full text newspaper and magazine articles through the King County Library website Full-Text Magazines & Journals In KCLS Databases – search here when you are looking for a specific title, visit http://www.kcls.org/databases/ for a complete details.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS:
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN:
THE RAIN-DEER, PRESENTED BY ROWBES PUPPET PRODUCTIONS
Saturday, November 29, 2008, 3pm at the White Center Library – this puppet show is for children & their families
. And anyone who likes puppet shows (and who doesn’t really?).
POPCORN CLASSICS: CHILDREN’S FILMS
Tuesday, December 02, 2008, 10:30am at the Burien Library –These films are for children 3 years & up along with their families
A SEASON FOR SINGING: A CHILDREN’S CONCERT
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 10:30am at the Burien Library. Celebrate Holiday traditions from around the world with Nancy Stewart. This program is for children & their families. Sponsored by the Burien Library Guild.
WHITE CENTER LIBRARY GUILD HOLIDAY BAZAAR & MAGIC SHOW
Saturday, December 6, 2008, from 11am 3pm at the White Center Library – shop for gifts at the Bazaar and bake sale, Magician Jeff Evans will perform at 2:30pm – this event is for everyone, and is sponsored by the White Center Library Guild.
PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS:
OPERA PREVIEW: GEORGES BIZET’S THE PEARL FISHERS
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 7pm at the Burien Library, presented by Norm Hollingshead and sponsored by the Burien Library Guild. This program is for adults.
Visit the King County Library programs page at: http://www.kcls.org/programs/index.cfm for a complete listing of programs county wide.
BULLET POINT BOOK REVIEW:
Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier (fiction)
- Twelve year old Will sets out on his own to run a remote trading post in Cherokee country.
- Lots of interesting history and background of the Cherokee people and life in pre-Civil War America.
- A love story
- An adventure
- And a bit of history too
- A good read – highly recommended!
Marilee A. Cogswell is the Manager of the Burien Library.
| Nov ’08 |
| 13 |
| 7:00 pm |
Seattle-based Environmental Artist/Photographer Chris Jordan will be speaking tonight (Thursday, Nov. 13th at 7pm) at the Woodmont Branch of the King County Library, located at 26809 Pacific Highway South in Des Moines (phone: 253-839-0121).
Chris Jordan uses digital photography to look at contemporary American culture and consumerism in his current series, Running the Numbers. Jordan will talk about his work, with special attention to his piece Paper Bags 2007, recently installed at the Woodmont Library.
Jordan’s work has been featured on The Colbert Report, Rachel Ray, and Bill Moyers Journal, and you can view some of his amazing work here.
The following quote is from Jordan’s website, www.chrisjordan.com:
Running the Numbers looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on. My hope is that images representing these quantities might have a different effect than the raw numbers alone, such as we find daily in articles and books. Statistics can feel abstract and anesthetizing, making it difficult to connect with and make meaning of 3.6 million SUV sales in one year, for example, or 2.3 million Americans in prison, or 32,000 breast augmentation surgeries in the U.S. every month.
This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. Employing themes such as the near versus the far, and the one versus the many, I hope to raise some questions about the role of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming.
Here’s a video about Chris that shows the whys, hows and whats of his truly impressive work:
Alexander Sasonoff grew up in "Rat City" and lived to write about it.
Last week we posted the first excerpt from longtime Burien resident, architect, artist and now author Alexander Sasonoff’s recently-published autobiography called “Growing Up in Rat City and Beyond.”
(Side note o’trivia: the office we occupy, located in Olde Burien, was designed by Mr. Sasonoff!)
Here’s part two of “Growing Up in Rat City and Beyond”
Part II: A Trip To White Center
White Center straddles the county line with the business district being both in Seattle and King County. It is a composite of various commercial establishments, surrounded by single-family housing occupied by blue-collar families. It received its name in 1918 with a coin toss between a Mr. White and a Mr. Green. Had the coin flipped over one more time, I might have grown up in Green Center.
At the age of six, eye level is about three feet six inches from the ground. This gives one a different perspective of the world. Walking about in White Center, I could easily peer under the swinging tavern doors of which there were many. The raucous laughter and other sounds that emanated from within aroused my boyish curiosity. It seemed that every other store front was a tavern. The heavy smell of beer wafted out through those doors and filled the air. Whenever I smell beer today, memories of early White Center flood my mind’s eye.
Many years later, while serving in the Army, I met a guy named Fred who had been in the merchant marine. We were both stationed at Fort Monmouth in New Jersey and while having a friendly conversation he asked where I was from. When I told him I hailed from White Center, he then surprised me with the following story: His ship had pulled into Seattle and he had asked his mates where was a fun place to go in the city. They told him to head for White Center. He hailed a cab and asked the cabbie where would be the best spot to have a drink. He was dropped off at the Glendale Tavern, an old well-established watering hole frequented by locals who often got into fights and did not cotton to strangers. One of them was an off-duty policeman that patrolled the area and tried to keep things somewhat orderly. The cop was about six feet six inches tall and his real name was Tommy Tucker. Of course it wasn’t long before he was nicknamed Tiny. The owner of The Glendale was a very large, buxom woman named Ma Ritchie. (She tended bar there and many years later was to come into my life as a personal friend.) But, back to the story with Fred. He walks through the swinging doors and as soon as he is inside, someone punches him in the face. He is sent flying backwards and out into the street. He struggles to his feet and starts for the door again when, BAM! he is hit again and lands in the street again. At this point, Fred decided that he’d had enough, called for another cab and went back to the ship. That was what he remembered about White Center. I had no idea that I lived in such a famous place. In those days dislikes and disagreements were settled by your fists, not with guns as is the case all too often today.
Roxbury Street was the designated county line that separated White Center from the City of Seattle. The north half is in Seattle and the south half in King County. Roxbury runs east-west and was a graveled road from 16th Avenue to Olson Place, which leads me to the following story: Billy Campbell’s dad had an old 1934 Studebaker which was a flat charcoal color. It was built like a tank. Billy’s dad would let him use the car on occasion. A lot of us neighborhood kids would pile into it and go for joyrides. At this particular intersection, Billy took the corner too fast. The car slid sideways on the gravel and took out a row of mailboxes and just missed a power pole. The right front fender and the headlight were damaged. It was the last time Billy’s dad let him use the car. It was fortunate that there were no injuries.
Many years ago, prize fighting in Seattle was severely limited by permits, licenses and other legalities, hence a boxing ring was constructed on the county side of Roxbury Street. Prizefights were held there attracting a rough and rowdy drinking and betting crowd. The ring was built by Hiram Green and later converted to a roller-skating rink still in operation today. There were many prizefighters from this working-class area. One of them, Al Hostak, held the middleweight championship of the world. After his retirement, Al tended bar for many years at the Epicure restaurant up the street from the Glendale Tavern. This establishment was there for many years and was well attended by locals. I remember fundraisers held there for Washington’s Governor Rossellini.
Harry "Kid" Matthews
Another fighter, Harry Kid Mathews, lived on the city side of White Center. The Kid went on from White Center to fight the famous Bostonian Heavy Weight Champion of the World, Rocky Marciano. Unfortunately, he was knocked out in the second round. Still Mathews career as a boxer was significant. He knocked out 43 opponents in 49 fights, fighting in three different weight divisions, including heavyweight. My former wife’s family was well acquainted with Kid Matthews and we used to party at the Angle Lake Plunge. The Plunge was a place not far from White Center where one could bring his own liquor, pay a cover charge and dance to live band music. Mixers for drinks were purchased for a nominal fee.
Another one of my neighbors was a fighter named Jackie Moore. Jackie fought in the lightweight division and gained notoriety there. His dad was a retired prizefighter and used to teach neighborhood kids the fundamentals of boxing. Jackie’s dad worked at the Frye packing plant in Seattle. He wielded a sledgehammer to put down beef cattle. It wasn’t pleasant listening to stories about his work. It was the Frye packing plant that was damaged when one of the early B29 bombers crashed into it.
Next week: part three of our continuing exclusive excerpts of “Growing Up in Rat City and Beyond”
Alexander Sasonoff grew up in "Rat City" and lived to write about it.
Alexander Sasonoff is a longtime Burien resident whose acronym could easily be “AAA” – Architect, Artist and now…Author.
Just don’t call him if your car breaks down (although he could probably fix that too…).
Sasonoff, an accomplished local architect, grew up in neighboring White Center, and has just released an autobiographical book called “Growing Up in Rat City and Beyond”
Sasonoff’s book takes readers on a gritty, often humorous journey from his earliest days in “Rat City,” starting when his Russian immigrant family moved here in 1936, through his childhood growing up in a tough neighborhood, playing in swamps, hanging out with boxers, getting fresh milk for 10-cents a jug from “Frenchie’s Farm” and much more.
Here’s part one of “Growing Up in Rat City and Beyond”
Part I • The Move to Rat City
The Move
As I sat in the front seat of the moving van clutching my cat, Reezhik, I had mixed feelings about moving to the house my parents had purchased near White Center. I was leaving all of my friends at F.A. McDonald Grade School as well as the other kids in my neighborhood. It was 1936 and the Boeing Aircraft Company was hiring workers. My Dad landed a job there.
The drums of war were starting their death rattle in Europe and the U.S. government ordered the construction of thirteen B17 bombers. These same thirteen bombers were flying into Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. It was a typical gray overcast day in Seattle. We were moving during a mid-school term so I would have to start all over again with new friends. Many good memories were being left behind. We lived across the street from lower Woodland Park. There were many picnics in the park and on the shores of Greenlake. Visits to the zoo will always be with me.
The driver of the moving van hated cats and threatened, if the cat got loose, he was going to throw him out the window. I tightened my grip on Reezhik. He made me sit as far from him as possible so I was squeezed up against the door panel with my brother, my Dad sat in the middle. I could not convey the threat to my cat but the cat must have sensed the hatred and did not move. Our dog, Spot, had already been safely transported to his new home.
It took about two hours in the lumbering moving van to get from Green Lake to our destination. We arrived without incident. The house was located on a double lot so there was plenty of space to play. Fruit trees abounded, there were apple, cherry, pear, plum and peach throughout the yard.
The oldest portion of the house used to be an office for a logging company that had cut all the timber in the area years before. It rested on a log foundation with the rest of the house added later. The newer portion had a very strange concrete foundation. I believe the basement was dug out after the house was constructed. The concrete was stepped and appeared to be about two feet thick. There were no sewers in the area and all of the streets were gravel. The sewage system was a simple cesspool that we all were warned to stay away from for fear of the wood planks collapsing.
Years later this area was sewered and after that came paved streets and sidewalks. My brother, Leon and I shared one bedroom while my two sisters, Vera and Ireda shared another. Later, we refurbished the attic creating two more bedrooms, so eventually each of us had our own room.
The house had only one bathroom. The water was heated by a coil of pipes in the wood burning furnace and kitchen stove. In the summertime there was never enough hot water generated by the kitchen stove. It was too warm to fire up the big furnace. Kettles of water were heated atop the kitchen stove to supplant the weekend baths. To save hot water, my brother and I used the same bath water.
This became a greater problem when our cousin moved in with us after being freed from a Japanese prison camp after the war. My Dad used to call me into the bathroom to wash his back. He sat in the tub while shaving. On one such occasion I asked him why he did not have any gray hair. I had noticed everyone getting on in years had gray hair. He answered me in Russian, “Ya vsegda moyu golavoo s holodnoi.” Translated, “I always wash my head with cold water.”
As the years passed and when I was in my twenties, washing my hair with cold water, I burst out laughing at the realization that he was telling me to keep a cool head. In that old house we finally had an electric hot water tank installed and there was much rejoicing.
Next week: part two of our continuing exclusive excerpts of “Growing Up in Rat City and Beyond”
| Oct ’08 |
| 4 |
| 7:30 am |
Dr. Mehmet Oz, a regular on The Oprah Winfrey Show and one of the world’s most influential people according to Time magazine, will be the featured speaker at Highline Medical Center’s Women’s Wellness Event called “Live Healthy. Stay Young.”
The event takes place Saturday, October 4 from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center in SeaTac.
“We wanted to create an event that would give the women of our community an opportunity to learn strategies for staying healthy,” said Mara Burke, director of community relations for Highline Medical Center. “Our goal is for every woman who attends this event to come away with valuable information that is meaningful in her life. We couldn’t think of a better way to do that than to bring Dr. Oz to Seattle and pair him with a dozen other medical experts.”
Event guests will enjoy their choice thought-provoking health workshops, the keynote by Dr. Oz, continental breakfast and lunch, and their own copy of Dr. Oz’s latest book YOU: Staying Young for an all-inclusive $90 registration fee. Workshops cover a wide and relevant range of topics for women at every age and life stage. From the power of positive nutrition to strategies for restful sleep to coping with menopause gracefully, this event promises to answer women’s pressing health and aging questions in candid, compelling, and useful ways.
Visit www.LiveHealthyStayYoung.com to download a brochure with class descriptions. Seats for this event are limited. Advance purchase is required. Call 206-695-5544 to claim your place at your workshops of choice and register.
Burke said that this event is part of the 50th anniversary activities in motion to honor Highline’s half-century of growth and commitment to healthy living and compassionate care. Highline opened its doors as Burien Community Hospital 50 years ago and has since grown into an award-winning, comprehensive medical center. The presenting sponsor for the event is KeyBank. Other sponsors include Puget Sound Health Partners, BECU, Burien Toyota/Burien Chevrolet, Albertsons/Supervalu, Powell Brothers and Alaska Airlines.
About Highline Medical Center
Highline Medical Center includes two healthcare campuses and more than 20 clinics across Southwest King County. From orthopedic surgery to obstetrics, from heart care to home health, you’ll find it at Highline. We offer access to leading medical experts supported by sophisticated technology. And through our progressive Planetree model of care, we are committed to caring for each patient and his or her family with genuine respect, understanding and compassion. Learn more at www.highlinemedicalcenter.org
| Aug ’08 |
| 10 |
| 2:00 pm |
The Highline Historical Society is sponsoring a very special presentation this Sunday, Aug. 10th, from 2pm–4pm at SeaTac City Hall (4800 S. 188th, SeaTac – map below) with Henry Friedman, author of the 1999 memoir “I’m No Hero: Journeys of a Holocaust Survivor.”
Some elements of the discussion will include:
- Friedman will recount his adolescence and coming of age under the unspeakable horror of Nazism.
- When the Nazis overran their home near the Polish-Ukrainian border, the Friedman family was saved by Ukrainian Christians who had worked for them at their family farm in the nearby village of Suchowola.
- When the Russians liberated the family after 18 months in hiding, Henry, just short of 16, made his way with his family to a displaced persons camp in Austria.
- In the camp, he discovered sex, money, and the intricacies of the black market.
- Like many other Holocaust survivors, he found it difficult to examine the past. However, his sense of obligation to bear witness eventually overcame his painful memories and his feelings of survivor-guilt.
- In his “I’m No Hero” presentation, Mr. Friedman confronts with unblinking honesty the pain, shame, and bizarre comedy that were his passage to adulthood.
Audience: Middle School through Adult, due to some mature content.
This should be a very interesting and informative event.
You can read Friedman’s book online here.
View Larger Map
| Jul ’08 |
| 23 |
| 3:30 pm |
Bonnie at The Yarn Stash tells us that they’re very excited to have world-renowned Author Debbie Macomber slated to appear in-store this coming Wed. July 23rd, from 3:30pm on at their store located at 615 SW 152nd Street.
According to Debbie’s website:
Debbie Macomber has written 160 novels, including BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET, SUSANNAH’S GARDEN, A GOOD YARN, THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET, BETWEEN FRIENDS and the Cedar Cove series. She is one of today’s leading voices in women’s fiction. A regular on every major bestseller list with more than 100 million copies of her books in print, the award-winning author celebrated a new career milestone in September 2007, when the latest in her Cedar Cove series, 74 SEASIDE AVENUE, scored #1 on the NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly and Bookscan bestseller lists. Her popularity is worldwide with her books translated into twenty-three languages.
The Yarn Stash is located at 615 SW 152nd Street in downtown Burien:
