It’s all in the family
February 3, 2012
Several years ago I exchanged a series of letters with Patrick McManus, a humorist who has been writing very funny stuff for a long, long time. In one of the letters, I asked him why it was that magazines and newspapers were generally leery of publishing humorous essays. His response was that humor frightened most editors because it’s so subjective. (A moment of appreciative silence for fearless Newcastle News Editor Kathleen Merrill.)
It makes me wonder: Where does a sense of humor come from, anyway? Is it genetic? I can’t say that my parents were laugh-out-loud funny, but the legacy that they left indicates a predilection to the comic. My father was often transferred and promoted, so we sometimes moved to a new city before we even had a chance to memorize our latest address and phone number. My sisters and I were forced to create a self-sustaining, insular social model so that when we moved to the next strange place, at least we had each other. Maybe that kind of familiarity breeds either contempt or a sense of humor to combat it.
The first time I realized that I was considered amusing was when I was in the seventh grade. Our assignment was to give a five-minute speech on any subject. I wrote about the space between my teeth (no longer existent) and how it made it easier to spit out watermelon seeds, and I included a poem about my two little sisters being irritating and loveable at the same time.
It was not that big a deal to me, just another homework assignment. When I presented it, the waves of laughter shocked me. More shocking was the fact that the nuns made me do it again and again in front of every class in the school. It was my first tour, and what I loved the most was getting out of seventh grade assignments to allow for it.
All of these musings regarding the origin of humor came to mind when my sister Susie Detmer was chosen for a Seattle version of “Dancing With the Stars.” It’s a benefit to combat homelessness put on by the Plymouth Housing Group. Each amateur dancer’s interview was posted on their website, and I’ll guarantee you that my sister’s answer to this question didn’t look like anyone else’s:
Why are you dancing for Plymouth Housing Group? I should say I am dancing because Plymouth Housing Group is a terrific cause. While that is the case, truth be told I would dance for Bernie Madoff’s defense fund if it meant I could learn to dance with a pro.
You can reach Pat Detmer — who really is Laughing All The Way — at patdetmer@aol.com.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
February 3, 2012
Earth Day 2012 vendor, sponsor applications now available
The application period is now open for sponsors and for vendors to host booths during Newcastle’s annual Earth Day celebration.
File Glenn Wallace, Gary Hansen and Mark Yormark (from left), all of Renton, hear from Larry Ostrom about a 1986 Pontiac Fiero altered to be 100 percent electric during the 2011 Newcastle Earth Day.
The earlier businesses and nonprofit organizations get their applications in, the more exposure they’ll receive on the Earth Day website and other promotional materials, she said.
The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 21 at Lake Boren Park. It features informational mini seminars, a master gardener clinic, the opportunity to recycle appliances and cellphones, the Pacific Science Center’s Science in the Environment interactive display and geocaching. Food vendors and music by the Hazen High School Band and the Boeing Employees’ Concert Band will also be available.
The event is held in conjunction with the city of Newcastle and the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce.
Download a sponsor or vendor application by going to www.newcastleweedwarriors.org and click on the “Earth Day 2012” link in the center of the page.
Learn more by emailing gracestiller@comcast.net or calling 228-7927.
Scouts experience need for speed
February 3, 2012
There were flashier setups in the mix.
One car sported an elaborate R2-D2 paint job.
Others boasted more intricate carving techniques, taking the shapes of a banana and a skateboard.
But 9-year-old Will Slaton’s gray Pinewood Derby car maintained a more modest approach.
By Christina Lords Pinewood Derby champion Will Slaton (left), second runner-up Dillon Gyotoku (center) and third-place finisher Nicholas Disney receive trophies for the fastest car entries in Newcastle Cub Scout Pack 738’s annual Pinewood Derby on Jan 13.
Sure, special precautions were taken to make sure the wheels and axles had been sanded down to offer the least resistance on the track.
A small amount of graphite had been added to the back end to give the rear some weight, while the sides of the car had been whittled down to create a more aerodynamic end product.
But what Slaton’s car lacked in pizzazz, it made up for in speed. It was crowned champion of Newcastle Cub Scout Pack 738’s 2012 Pinewood Derby held Jan.13 at Newcastle Elementary School.
As champion, he’ll go on to face more formidable foes at the district level, he said, though he isn’t changing a thing.
Local business owner sets out to help Haiti residents rebuild
February 3, 2012
The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that left much of Haiti’s capitol and surroundings in ruin may seem like a faint memory to some.
But to Jeff Gaidjiergis, it’s an event he refuses to forget.
The local business owner and May Valley resident, along with four other members of Renton’s New Life Church, will make his third trip in two years to help residents in the Port-au-Prince area rebuild.
“There are very few buildings that have been constructed since the earthquake,” he said. “There are still a lot of tent cities that are down there. There are still people living in these tents and looking for food every day. Part of the problem is that yes, this happened, but it never was a very prosperous area to begin with.”
Contributed Jeff Gaidjiergis (center), a Newcastle business owner and New Life Church member, meets local children as he helps rebuild a church near Port-au-Prince during a recent mission trip with the New Life Church.
Gaidjiergis will spend 10 days beginning Feb. 3 to help rebuild a church and school that had been destroyed in the January 2010 earthquake. He uses a portion of the profits of his Mr. Scrappy Recycling company to volunteer in Haiti, and also makes a mission trip to Mexico with his wife and children every year.
The work is one leg of a series of trips to work on the project, which includes building a new church building and two additional structures to provide a safe, covered place for residents to gather.
A creature of the sun
January 6, 2012
Twenty years ago, people thought that “El Niño” or “La Niña” were competing brands of bean dip or the companion ships to the Santa Maria, but in this weather-savvy world that we live in today, we know that El Niño (literal translation: “The Boy”) and La Niña (literal translation: “No Sunshine for Five Months”) are weather disruptions.
I am a creature of the sun, so I am mightily affected by the lack of it. I’m not a sun-tanner or worshiper, but I do naturally rise in the morning at the earliest hint of light, and I find the need to climb into bed as the sun fades, which means that in December I’m in bed around 3:55 p.m.
To help me through these dark times, I bought a 10,000 Lux S.A.D light. “S.A.D.” stands for “Seasonal Affective Disorder,” which means that if you don’t get enough brightness in your day, you may do things like snap at your better half even if his nickname is “The Sainted One.” I bought this box years ago, pre-digital age, and it’s the size of a suitcase. I saw a new one recently on a friend’s desk, and it was the size of a ham sandwich and looked like it was designed by Apple™.
Based on the size of my light alone, I should be ecstatic.
Submissions sought for park-naming contest
January 6, 2012
Newcastle needs your help to name a local park.
The Parks Commission will consider entries and ultimately recommend a name for the park on the west side of Newcastle at Southeast 80th Street and 113th Avenue Southeast to the City Council.
Entries are due to the commission by 5 p.m. Jan. 31.
The site is about .15 acres or 100 feet by 60 feet; has small native plantings and pine trees; and includes picnic tables, benches and a gravel pathway.
The naming of park spaces should be based on the site’s relationship to certain criteria, including natural or geographic features, historical ties or features, individuals (living or deceased) who have made significant contributions to the park system, individuals who have contributed civic service to the city or neighborhood or common usage identification qualities.
Call Parks Program Manager Michael Holly at 649-4444, ext. 142, or email him at michaelh@ci.newcastle.wa.us for more information.
Requirements changed for winter rec areas
January 6, 2012
Requirements for residents to use winter recreation areas in Washington are changing, according to Washington State Parks and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
The changes affect whether a Sno-Park permit or a Discover Pass will be required to access state-managed winter recreation areas and Sno-Parks.
Visitors who have a current seasonal Sno-Park permit will not need to purchase a Discover Pass to visit a designated Sno-Park area between now and March 31 for winter recreation activities.
The seasonal Sno-Park permit is $40. A one-day Sno-Park permit is $20. Some nonmotorized Sno-Parks require a Special Groomed Trail sticker for an additional $40.
An annual Discover Pass costs $30 and a day-use pass is $10, and transaction fees apply when purchased from a retail provider.
Learn more about the changes by going to www.parks.wa.gov/winter/ nonmotorparks.
Scout Troop 499 to collect Christmas trees for fundraiser
January 6, 2012
Newcastle’s Boy Scout Troop 499 will begin circulating through local neighborhoods at 9 a.m. Jan. 7 to collect Christmas trees from homes for disposal.
The group will go through neighborhoods several times until 2 p.m. for its annual fundraiser.
Homeowners may place their tree at the curb of their home for pickup. Donations for the Scouts are accepted by placing a Ziploc bag and envelope addressed to Troop 499 at 8042 116th Ave. S.E., Newcastle, WA 98056 on the tree. Donations can also be mailed to that address.
If the troop misses a tree, homeowners can call 206-579-7732 or 206-817-8323 for pickup.
It is not uncommon for trees to be picked up a week after the official date, and each year, the troop collects about 500 trees that get chipped and recycled.
Donations to the Troop Scholarship Fund can also be made at HomeStreet Bank anytime during the year.
Camping equipment donations for the growing troop are also needed.
Newcastle woman searches for answers in her past
January 6, 2012
Maternal, paternal Italian lineage sparks interest in genealogy
In 1981, Vickie Baima Olson took a trip with her father to the tiny village of Piano Audi, Italy, where her great-grandparents were born.
The trip would change how she would come view her family, and herself, for years to come.
“We went to a cemetery where a lot of the headstones had the same last name as mine,” Olson said. “They put pictures on their graves there. There was a picture there of a woman, and I thought, ‘My gosh, she looks like she could be my twin.’”
Vickie Olson’s father’s side, the Baima family, emigrated to Newcastle to mine coal in the area as early as 1900. Photo contributed by Vickie Baima
That moment sparked an interest in Olson, a third-generation Newcastle resident, and her family since.
As a longtime humanities and social studies middle school teacher for the Issaquah School District, Olson said she’s always been interested in research and learning more about the past.
In 2000, Olson said she got serious when it came to uncovering her roots. She started learning more about her family through records, such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage documents and others through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Family History Center in Bellevue, online and through family testimonials.
She’s even started to learn the Italian language.
I got the music in me
December 1, 2011
When I was 5 years old, I took tap-dancing lessons, and at 12 I sang Gregorian chants in the Catholic church choir. At 14, I taught myself how to play guitar, and at 17 I used that guitar with my singing group — The She Bops — when we were on stage in high school or on TV trying to win the Davenport, Iowa, version of Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour.
I once called in sick and went to the Seattle Center, location of a national barbershop quartet conference, just in the hopes that some spontaneous singing might break out. My mother and two sisters and I could produce some pretty decent four-part harmony ourselves, and my step-daughter (brave child) has asked the Detmer sisters and Newcastle niece to sing “Going to the Chapel” at her wedding in April.
