Long after you leave the theater, you will be thinking about "9 Parts of Desire," playwright Heather Raffo's soul-shattering work, now playing at Seattle Repertory's Leo K Theatre. Not because it's the most brilliant play you've ever seen. It's a good play - not a great one. Yet it is a powerful play, for what it doesn't say as well as what it does, despite your personal political beliefs about the current Iraqi War.In the style of playwright/actress Anna Deavere Smith, Raffo has created a living mosaic of nine different women, as she lifts the veil on what it means to be a woman in the age-old war zone of Iraq. You won't see Raffo's perspective on network news, although more and more Islamic women are courageously speaking out about their plight. An Iraqi-American actress, Raffo based her play and characters on interviews she conducted over 11 years of extensive research. Although she starred in her one-woman play when it first opened Off Broadway, Raffo has passed the torch to actress Najla Said, daughter of the late political activist and scholar Edward Said.
Clyde 'Tell No Tails'We wish to extend our heartfelt sympathy to both Anne Berry and Jane Plut regarding the passing of their wonderful horse Clyde. In 2003, Clyde was Lake Washington Saddle Club Horse of the Year and had been a fixture around the park for many years. He was a huge white Percheron/Arabian cross and has been a treasured member of the Plut family for many years.Clyde and Anne competed successfully in A-circuit hunter/jumper and in 1991 won the Northwest Amateur Medal Final. It is difficult to describe the kind of trust and respect you can have with a horse, but it is a special bond, and we know that Anne and Clyde were a terrific team and real partners. Our hearts go out to you. We will miss seeing him out in the trails.
Hello and welcome to another installment of news and events in and around North Rose Hill. Fish in Woodlands?Believe it or not but it has been reported that a 6-inch trout was seen swimming under the first foot bridge to the north of N.E. 95th Street in the recently cleared area in Woodlands Park. "It is so cool that we can now see what's going on in the wetland," said Jenny Gaus from the the Kirkland Surface Water Department. She added that she has never seen fish on the east side of 124th Avenue before.
Vidal's CDDowntowner Vidal Bitton closed his very popular restaurant, Vidal's European Bistro, a little more than four years ago. The one constant Kirkland question since the closing - besides "Where do I park?" - has been: "Does anyone know what Vidal is doing?"He shows up in town every so often walking through the Central Tavern, Hector's or just along the sidewalk. You know him by his signature big-bear hug he lavishes on everyone. He is probably the only person besides Downtowner Chuck Morgan that stops conversation as he passes by.I stopped him recently and asked him for the chance to update everyone. Closing the restaurant was, he said, "very depressing." Some may remember his cheer during those days, but he was really depressed about it.Immediately after closing, he threw himself into remodeling his yard. A stack of gigantic boulders lay in the street in front of his home a few days as he worked them into the new landscape. He built a meditation shed in the back yard because he was blown away by Captain Holmgren in the "The Last Samurai."
I love how one day you wake up and the birds are suddenly chirping outside your window and then you know: It is finally spring! I, for one, am delighted to hear our feathered friends and see all of the gardens begin to pop with crocus, daffodil and early tulips. There has been a renewal of sorts in the neighborhood over the last month. I have seen many of you out for community meetings, asking pertinent and probing questions of your city officials. It seems that spirit of renewal is moving all around Juanita. Juanita businesses and the chamberLate in February, Bill Vadino, executive director of the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, organized a meeting of businesses in the lower Juanita area. The conversation that morning was lively and engaging and addressed the partnerships among businesses, neighborhoods and the city.Many of those in attendance had not previously had contact with each other and genuinely welcomed the opportunity to network with one another. Some of the firms represented were Columbia Athletic Club, Wallace Properties (handling the commercial brokerage for the Avalon development), Massage Envy, Everyday Athlete, Coldwell Banker and others in and around Juanita Village.It is Bill's hope to broaden the chamber's influence from the downtown core to all of the neighborhood business districts. Hopefully, this meeting will occur quarterly.Council meeting in JuanitaIf you missed the meeting on March 15 and are interested in the discussion and/or questions and answers from the City Council, please refer to the city Web site: www.ci.kirkland.wa.us.There have been further inquiries from citizens and other questions have been added for your information. I want to remind all of you that this is a great way to see a city government that is making an attempt to be responsive directly to public inquiry.
The Highlands meeting in March was one of the best examples I've seen of citizens working with city and state representatives to share ideas and solve problems. As we all stood in a circle, looking at maps and drawings, discussing concerns and solutions, I was struck by the refreshing lack of "us and them."It was very apparent that the DOT and city employees who attended are people just like us, who live in neighborhoods like ours, commute on the same local roads we do and have the same frustrations about traffic as we do. They spend many of their evenings attending meetings and open houses all over the area, when they probably wish they could be home with their families. I was impressed with their willingness to consider all options and dedication to getting the best value for our tax dollars. I think the Highlands attendees came away with the sense that their concerns are being addressed within the limits of feasibility and funding.
So, we must spring into action. No more dreaming time left - the garden is demanding our attention. You may try to ignore the bursting growth, believing that you really will get to it early next week, but then that day comes, and the notorious spring showers are beating on the windowsills.Real horticulture and fine gardening are true anomalies in this age of instant everything. Garden centers have emphasized this perceived need for immediacy. It is possible, in a one-stop-shop, to fill your garden beds, patios and decks with furniture, pre-planted pots of seasonal "color," doo-dads and whirlygigs, bulbs in pots so it looks as though you did your bulb planting last fall and winter and a vast selection of sure-fire blooming plants. The cost for this immediacy is high in dollars for the consumer.
StoryBook Theater brings its version of Rumplestiltskin to the Kirkland Performance Center this month. Filled with delightful songs and madcap shenanigans, this musical comedy is designed to engage and delight very young audiences - ages 3 through 9 - and to entertain the whole family.StoryBook performances reach out to young audiences in several ways. The energetic performances and catchy songs are great fun. The shows also give young kids the opportunity to learn appropriate theater behavior in a situation where they don't have to be still and quiet for the whole show. There are plenty of opportunities for them to react and respond, and the actors know what to expect and how to keep the show on track.
"I'm a pretty wild old lady!"There you have it. The unbridled self-assessment of artist, curator, teacher and general mover and shaker Donna Lindeman Porter.Porter, who was a member of the Kirkland Cultural Council for three years, is currently showing her work at the Kirkland Arts Center's "Altared" exhibit through May 3. In addition, she has curated and is participating in the "Art: Renew, Recycle, Recreate!" show at Kirkland City Hall. Her work also is being displayed in a "Computers and Calligraphy" exhibit at EastShore Gallery in Bellevue. And, perhaps the icing on the cake - at least for the moment - is a display of her work at SeaTac Airport that begins this month and lasts through September.
We often ask one another, "How are you today?" It's worth taking a moment to ask yourself this very question, and honoring what you discover. Do you feel a sense of heaviness or discomfort anywhere in your body? Is your mind occupied with recurring thoughts? A holistic approach to wellness instructs us to listen to the messages of imbalance, and respond constructively. I can remember repeatedly stubbing my toe when I was a child. I'd first cringe with pain, then I'd slap a Band-Aid on it and get running again. I don't recall taking a moment to ask myself what this accident was telling me.
With spring here, we tend to get that little burst of energy. Longer, brighter days, with the thought of that wonderful summer approaching - why not try a new outdoor activity? The more activities you do during the week, the better your health and quality of life. One of the fun aspects of exercise is that you can choose from many different activities that promote fitness. You can select one or a combination of activities that fit your lifestyle. The choice should be base on personal enjoyment, convenience, and availability.Choices are endlessMost people who exercise pick and adhere to only one type of activity. No single activity develops total fitness (cardiovascular endurance, strength and flexibility). Most activities develop only one component of fitness. Doing a combination of sports or activities - cross-training - can help you to get all three components of fitness. It will add enjoyment to your program, decrease your risk of injuries from overuse and keep exercise from becoming monotonous.
If you're in search of a field of dreams on the Eastside - and a burger whose reputation precedes itself - swing by Lee Johnson field at Peter Kirk Park."Peter Kirk is seen as the jewel of fields," says Kirkland Baseball Commission (KBC) chief Glen Beard. "The field is dressed, the coaches don't have to put lime out; we've got the concession stand, the scoreboard. It's like a professional field."PK burger is backSweetening the package is the famous "PK burger," which had been MIA for the past couple of years. Its triumphant return now is credited to veteran volunteer concessionares Diana Caldwell and Barb Woolsey, who are back in the saddle and behind the counter after a short hiatus. Two bucks gets you a juicy burger, complete with grilled onions that you can nearly smell from the pool. All proceeds from the concession - usually between $10,000 and $20,000 a season - eliminate the need for additional fund-raising.
Things are looking up in Downtown Kirkland, according to several city sources. The water- and sewer-system replacement project on Central Way is winding down, a start has begun on a new hotel, and condominium projects are going in near Kirkland Avenue that will bring hundreds of new residents to town.Dick Beaselle, executive director of Kirkland Downtown on the Lake, said he was pleased with the work on Central. "Cosmetically, Central Way will look outstanding." Beaselle especially appreciates the move to put power and utility lines underground, and he likes the plan for a series of curb bulbs that will calm traffic on the busy thoroughfare. The curb bulbs will make it safer for pedestrians, he said.
A 15-year-old boy, his 16-year-old sister and her 16-year-old boyfriend are facing charges for a series of three arsons at Big Finn Hill Park, one of which hadn't been reported, according to court documents. Witnesses present at the unreported fire identified the trio, who are B.E.S.T. High School students, according to Lawrence Canary, assistant fire chief and supervisor for the fire-investigations unit. But adding to evidence in the case was the fact that the two male suspects allegedly blabbed about the fires on their MySpace.com Web sites, he said. The successful cyber-sleuthing didn't surprise Canary. "I've got some creative, very well-qualified investigators," he said.According to court documents from the King County Prosecutor's Office, the allegedly damning Web-site evidence was discovered on Feb. 10, and it involved an exchange of messages between the two boys.
Some hate broccoli.Some hate bacon....-Ogden NashFood, glorious foodHot sausage and mustard- from "Oliver"Poems have been written about food. Songs have been sung about food. Photographs and still-lifes have tantalized our tastebuds as well as captured our eye for generations unto generations. Food magazines multiply, extolling the wonders of food. But what food?Nowadays, we so seldom say, "I feel like a chocolate shake" and have one. First, we ask if the chocolate is light or dark, then we ask that our shake be made with skim milk and hold the whipped cream. Then, while it is being prepared, we sadly think about calories and wonder if we've just given up lunch and dinner in our desire for a shake in spite of our efforts to make it as calorie-less as possible.