Over the last five years, Paul Butler and John Platt, owners of St. Clouds restaurant in Madrona, have helped more than 12,000 homeless individuals in Seattle. Once a month they provide dinner for about 200 people at several local sites.The Washington Restaurant Association (WRA) recently awarded them the 2006 Humanitarian of the Year - Restaurant Neighbor Award. The WRA gives this award because it believes that restaurants are a huge part of their respective communities and they have a duty to feed people in need, which can also foster goodwill. Being good neighborsFor Butler and Platt, the idea of helping the homeless was not just a chore or way to seek recognition. It was an idea that hit close to home for both of them.In August 2001, St. Therese Catholic Church in Madrona decided to host a tent city on its church and school grounds. However, many members and neighbors were nervous about the idea of having the homeless community in their neighborhood, so a meeting was organized. To calm down the community, tent-city organizers reassured them by saying that tent-city residents would not be allowed to cook due to health-code issues. This might have made the neighbors happier. But all that Butler and Platt could think about was, this will be their home - where are they going to cook? As Platt said, "What's it going to be, 'Jack-in-the-Box here we come'?"
With Madeleine Wilde on a lengthy Italian sabbatical, this reprint of a column from November 2001 seemed a timely alternative.Decision time again. Should the garden this month be thoroughly cleaned of all the past seasons' growth or left alone until spring's emerging growth calls us back to the garden?Several garden writers wax eloquently about the winter beauty to be found in dried flower stalks and seed heads. The frost catches and defines their forms, or the low winter sun highlights them in a way that can be remarkably different from their summer form. In reality, the original question posed here is too simplistic, for even those gardeners who want to keep some remnants of the garden's glory intact through the winter months actually do a lot of other cleanup in their gardens.For example, it is important to remove fallen leaves from around drought-tolerant plants in order to prevent rotting at their bases. Leaves that have blown in deep drifts need to be removed to prevent the smothering of the plants underneath. Paths and patios need to be swept clean for there is nothing attractive about gooey and slimy, decayed material on hard surfaces.However, that gooey slime is wonderful for the health of your soil. The worms pull the decaying material into their burrows and the bacteria continues to add healthy ingredients. There is the additional benefit of the fall colors laying in drifts throughout the garden beds.
Another new business organization? For Mario Morales, the answer is an emphatic 'yes'!Morales is the executive director of the new Kirkland Business Association (KBA), which officially formed in August. But he's no stranger to the Kirkland business community. Morales served as president of the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce for several years prior to heading up the Greater Seattle Business Association across the lake.His return to the Kirkland business scene came about from a desire to start an organization he'd been thinking about creating for several years. His plan was to develop a group that was directed more to smaller, independent businesses. That group would serve as a resource for such businesses to grow and thrive.A fine idea, but the push came when several business owners convinced Morales to take the plunge. Not only that, but they agreed to serve on the nascent group's board of directors. "They asked me to start the KBA. I told them that if they were committed as well then I'd do it," he said. The early returns have been very promising. More than 100 people attended the group's inaugural event in September. And 18 new members signed up at the October event at Studio East. Membership stands at more than 50. Morales said his expectation is to have more than 200 members by the end of the year.
I used to have a good swing - honestly. I was even told that I was a natural. Then I took lessons and bought state-of-the-art equipment. My golf game was never the same - not in a good way that is.I remember signing up my teenage daughter for her first horseback riding lessons. Her trainer, who seemed to know what he was doing, urged me not to purchase a saddle for her until she had found her own seat first, meaning letting her ride bareback until she got the feel for riding a horse properly without the use of too much gear.We don't normally pursue this "natural" approach anymore. We rather apply the latest technology available. To be sure, I'm not advocating any form of purism or romantic nostalgia for the remote past. We're fortunate to live in an age where science and technology allow us to put barriers between us and the raw struggle for survival known to our ancestors not that long ago.
Last month, I highlighted fall as a time of letting go. As winter blows in, we connect with a less visible source of vitality. The aligning of resources accomplished during this season is essential to sustaining a healthy process of renewal-a virtual fountain of youth.Every day, we've a vast array of internal housekeeping goals to accomplish. A short list includes metabolizing our food, eradicating a barrage of germs, arresting cancerous growths and regularly growing/replacing cells throughout the body. We're high maintenance - especially those of us who want to be high achievers! We all know the tension of stress feels bad. I often encounter complaints of neck and shoulder tightness, headaches, digestive disorder or lower back pain. Typically, these discomforts are triggered by stress - a state of allocating resources to address the world outside. Once tension sets in, it can become a vicious cycle. And, prolonged stress inevitably leads to more serious conditions.
The International Community School is well known for its great academic program. But prospective parents and students needn't fear that it's all work and no play. The parents and the PTSA at ICS have taken it upon themselves to provide a broad range of intramural sports and other athletic activities after school and on weekends.The intramural sports program at ICS starts off in the fall with volleyball, which is open to boys and girls in grades seven to 12. Usually there are more girls, since volleyball is a local high school sport. However, every year a few boys are smart enough to recognize the potential for fun and exercise. The intramural basketball league's season runs from January until the end of March. This year, there may even be two divisions. If enough participants register, there will be younger and older sets of teams.Intramural soccer starts right after spring break in April. This is the biggest sport at ICS, with participation ranging from 60-100 players and including both boys and girls in grades seven-12. Practices are held after school at ICS, and games are played at the Juanita High School stadium.Other sports groups share the gym with the music ensemble and the drama club. In between drama productions, when more gym time is available, parent volunteers schedule dodge ball games. Drop-in ping-pong is available on some afternoons in late November through December and again in the spring. This year, we hope to introduce badminton on Saturday afternoons and, possibly combine it with extra ping-pong sessions.
Mike Fahrenbach coaches seven divers from Juanita High School and five from Lake Washington High School. At the same time. A conflict of interest? Not really - diving is about as individual a sport as they come. "All our goals are set on the districts," he says. The trick is juggling practice, especially with staggered end-of-day times and the fact that Lake Washington doesn't have a pool. To allow for traveling time, Fahrenbach runs practice for three and a half to four hours.States are Nov. 11District qualifying meets are Oct. 21 and 28, culminating in an all-day district meet Nov. 4. The state championships are Nov. 11 at the King County Aquatics Center. Fahrenbach said that his best diver, freshman Anna Steiner, had a qualifying score of 322.85, but was just short in her total degree of difficulty.
I-405 drivers should prepare for heavy construction in Kirkland through November. WSDOT will open a new northbound lane, shift southbound traffic and close the intersection at 116th Avenue N.E. and N.E. 128th Street for eight weeks.  New northbound laneWSDOT will open a new northbound lane between N.E. 85th Street and N.E. 116th Street, as part of the Kirkland Nickel Stage 1 Project. The purpose of this lane is to ease congestion through Kirkland by allowing drivers getting on at N.E. 85th Street more time to merge onto I-405, reducing the bunching that occurs right after the on-ramp. The new southbound lane between N.E. 116th Street and N.E. 85th Street opened last month. By 2009 these two lanes will be extended to N.E. 124th Street, completing the Kirkland Nickel Stage 1 Project. And by 2011, when WSDOT is scheduled to complete the Kirkland Nickel Stage 2 project, these two lanes will be incorporated into a continuous north and southbound lanes between SR 520 in Bellevue and SR 522 in Bothell.
What are the top 10 biggest accounting mistakes small business owners make? While you may not see this list on David Letterman's show, these are important cautions for small business owners (which happen to be the majority of entrepreneurs in Kirkland). In my interaction with clients, I have learned the following 10 points apply to most small businesses: 1. Miscategorizing expensesThere are standard categories that are generally used in accounting. When you set up your accounting software you can select the chart of accounts that best fits your business. Try to stick with those standard accounts. It will cut down on the confusion of the bookkeeper or CPA, therefore saving time and money spent on accounting professionals.2. Mixing fundsTo have a complete understanding of your business it's very important to have a separate business checking account. This will give you a true and accurate tracking of your business expenses. It's very easy to take $20 here and there out of your personal account for business expenses. When this happens you lose the understanding of how much you're spending on your business. More importantly, when the expense isn't recorded, you lose a potentially important tax deduction.
The way teens are represented in the media is, to say the least, not nice. This generation is known as slackers, druggies and lazy bums who are obsessed with themselves and what others think of them instead of school work and goals. I won't argue with this. I've seen a fair number of teens go down hill because they lack self respect, or from just plain stupidity. Many teens pity themselves and their lives, constantly blaming others and "the world" as the source of all their problems. However, there are at the same time many teens out there who are striving hard to achieve greatness? Before you write this off as another teenage rant, please take a moment to consider this innocent plea for understanding. Ask any teenager what they believe is the worst misconception about teens and the answers will all basically say that adults think teens are "stupid, arrogant, short-sighted, immature and incapable of doing anything on their own." Teenagers understand that not all adults have this view, but you can't deny that the image that pops into your head of a teen today isn't exactly one of a reliable and conscientious decision maker. So for all the teens out there who are good eggs, I'm taking a stand, and describing a little about what I call "the other teens."
From humble beginnings in 1949 with one sewing course, Lake Washington Technical College has grown steadily to include more than 100 degree and certificate options in information technology, business and service, health & fitness, manufacturing and transportation technologies and arts, language and science. We now serve students from King and Snohomish counties, commuter students from areas like Port Townsend, Gig Harbor and Marysville and students from around the globe, including Japan, Tonga, Ireland and the Ukraine. We have a top notch and dedicated faculty and staff, and are proud to be one of Kirkland's top employers.As president of Lake Washington Technical College, data is delivered to my desk regularly. While this data isn't always exciting reading, I recently received information from an economic impact study that included an interesting collection of facts about LWTC.In the study, researchers discovered that money invested by state and local governments in LWTC generated a 15.9 percent return in the form of local economic growth and savings on social programs. That is to say, LWTC graduates collect higher salaries, pay more taxes and require fewer dollars worth of government social spending as a result of the education they receive here. Furthermore, employees educated by LWTC over past years "increase the output of industries in the King/Snohomish economy ... by $70.29 million," and that "over one million credit and non-credit hours of LWTC training" contribute to that amazing result. For students the results are even better. Over a 30-year career they will earn an average 22.5 percent return on their educational investment, including all the wages not received while attending classes. The average annual earnings of an LWTC graduate with a one-year certificate are 16 percent higher than someone with just a high school diploma, and 81 percent higher than someone without a diploma or GED. The yearly earnings of a student with an Associate's degree are 36.5 percent higher than someone with only a high school diploma and 112.9 percent higher than those of someone without a diploma. That means that in an average 32-year career, the graduate with an Associate's degree will earn $298,823 more than if s/he had only a high school education. Who wouldn't want that kind of raise?!
Walk to School Week huge success at TwainThe annual Walk to School Celebration took place Oct. 2-6 last month in schools throughout the United States and in Kirkland. At Mark Twain Elementary School, more than 250 students walked to school during the week.On Oct. 6, the "Pedbee" and two motorcycle policeman were hand to greet students. McDonalds graciously donated the cold beverages to go along with coffee and bagels for the parents and students on hand. Elections Nov. 7: don't forget to voteI know, believe me, I know how busy we are these days. But, please make sure you make the time to vote Nov. 7. There are several candidates competing for important seats in both local and national elections and there are local initiatives that need to be considered and voted upon. In the 45th legislative district, North Rose Hill residents have the opportunity to re-elect former Kirkland mayor Larry Springer back to the House of Representatives as our representative. Many of you who read this are perhaps new to the area and do not know of all the good things Larry has done for the community; as our representative in the House he will continue to be a firm supporter of Kirkland and its residents. Trees for free may still be availableKirkland Parks Department had or maybe still has trees for free. In an effort to enhance and beautify Kirkland's tree canopy, the city is making approximately 50 trees available to citizens that they will need to plant and care for. At this writing the trees will be available for pickup at McAuliffe Park beginning Oct. 25. If you are interested please contact Jason Filan at 587-3341 or visit this link for more information: www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/__shared/assets/Tree_Flyer4667.pdf.
Ben Franklin newsWe were pleased to hear that among all the principals in the state of Washington, Ben Franklin Elementary School principal Mary Cronin has been named outstanding administrator of the year by the Washington Organization of Reading Development (WORD). Her consistent focus on the importance of literacy has resulted in the purchase of guided reading books for a new guided reading room, as well as sets of books for each teacher containing the best practices for writing.Her support for both fiction and non-fiction assures that all the children have interesting books to read at their level so they can be successful. Her efforts to provide teachers with the tools to create readers and writers and her ongoing passion to increase literacy achievement in students make both her students and her staff very proud. Congratulations, Ms. Cronin! Ben Franklin's annual Jog-A-Thon on Oct. 18, "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" was a huge success this year. More than $36,000 was generously donated to help the school. The money is used in a variety of ways to fund school programs. The elementary school will be hosting art classes for six weeks beginning Nov. 6. The sessions will be devoted to the holidays and fall season. Students will make gifts, ceramic tile painting and seasonal cards with watercolor. Also, a dads' reading night is being planned for Nov. 16.
Airsoft guns are illegal without adult supervisionIn early October, some Highlands kids and their teammates were jogging through the woods at Crestwoods Park during their soccer practice when several junior high kids with airsoft rifles began shooting at them. Approximately six players were hit with pellets in their upper bodies and necks, and three other players tripped over a metal cable that was strung across the trail as a trip wire. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, and the police caught the kids who were doing the shooting. The incident is under investigation, and no one yet knows what the consequences might be.Like many of you, I have kids who own airsoft guns. This incident made me wonder what the laws are regarding their use. The Kirkland Municipal Code says, in part:"It is illegal for anyone under 16 to carry or shoot an air gun within the city when not directly supervised by an adult, unless they are within that adult's property limits. "It is illegal for an adult to allow possession or use of an air gun by a child under 16 without adult supervision."It is illegal to point or shoot an air gun at any person or property of another, while within such range as to cause injury to the person or damage the property of another."Breaking the above laws is a gross misdemeanor. In addition to the possibility of a fine or imprisonment, the airsoft gun can be confiscated.The mother of one of the Highlands kids who was hit asked me to mention this incident in the Courier. She said, "With all the horrible news across our nation, we send our children to school and sport teams with a fair amount of trust. There is an opportunity here to send a strong message to our community and families that this [type of behavior] will not be tolerated."
Operation Iraq"We need some space to assemble, store and ship the boxes. We need headquarters," said downtowner Ruth Ann Young "Two thousand to 2,500 square feet. Preferably on the first floor. Evergreen [Hospital] kindly offered a third floor. We couldn't use it because the utilities were a major concern. There's no heat and those packing boxes in the evening couldn't because there's no light. We're getting started late because we haven't been able to get this headquartered."Ruth Ann's voice trails off, and she is quiet for awhile. "We won't allow this to go there. We will find space," she said.Ruth Ann owned The Spirit of Christmas store on Central Way. Four years ago she began coordinating the assembling and sending Christmas boxes to the troops in Iraq. A sampling of the items includes toothpaste and brushes, lip balm and eye wash, snack items and a good CD, as well as art work and letters kids have sent.Ruth Ann started the project when a high school friend e-mailed her and said, "I can't tell you what I'm doing, but here's a little joke." He sent a picture of the PX; the PX was empty. Ruth Ann knew then she had to send the Christmas boxes. Ruth Ann's husband received a box from the Red Cross while he was serving in World War II. She has been able to assemble, and send, an average of 10,000 boxes a year.