Friends of Renton Schools Foundation breakfast is top fundraiser of the year
April 4, 2013
The Friends of Renton Schools will host its fourth annual benefit breakfast, headlined by speaker Norm Rice, on April 29.
The benefit is the main fundraiser for the school foundation that provides supplemental funding to support the Renton School District.
Last year’s breakfast raised about $200,000, with former NASA astronaut Bonnie Dunbar as the speaker. Bill Gates Sr. and Sally Jewell, CEO of REI and President Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the interior department, have both spoken at past fundraisers.
Change your smoke alarm batteries when you “spring forward”
March 8, 2013
NEW — 2:10 p.m. March 8, 2013
As the time change approaches on Sunday, March 10, the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office reminds residents that one easy step can help save their lives — changing the batteries in their smoke alarms.
When you change your clocks, take time to change and test the batteries in your smoke alarms.
“Smoke alarms most often fail because of missing, dead or disconnected batteries so maintenance is a simple, effective way to protect you and your family,” said State Fire Marshal Charles M. Duffy.
Warnings from smoke alarms can provide those critical extra seconds people need to get out of their homes safely. Plan, discuss and practice escape routes with your household members. Being prepared and knowing what to do in the event of a fire can save lives.
Learn more about fire safety on the State Fire Marshal website — www.wsp.wa.gov/fire/firemars.htm.
Newcastle Library hosts discussion about American Indians in cinema
March 1, 2013
NEW — 10:25 a.m. March 1, 2013
Just three months after the Newcastle Library’s grand opening, its program offerings continue to expand with exciting opportunities for the community to get together and learn more about a variety of topics.
March will be no different, with multiple events already scheduled, highlighted by a discussion about the portrayal of Native Americans in cinema.
The event, “American Indians in Cinema: A Conversation to Challenge Our Perceptions,” will center on a discussion led by cinema scholar Lance Rhoades as he prompts participants to address the role cinema has played in producing, perpetuating and challenging perceptions of American Indians.
The March 6 talk begins at 7 p.m. and is free to attend.
See a list of the library’s event offerings for the entire month of March on our calendar.
The Newcastle Library is at 12901 Newcastle Way.
What makes a place
February 28, 2013
Newcastle has been our home for 22 years, and if you drew a 5-mile diameter circle with our house at the center, it would encompass all of the services and recreation that our lives require: medical center, dentist, groceries, the Y, car mechanic, restaurants. We brag to friends about how quickly we can be in downtown Seattle or at the airport, or how close we are to wilderness if we head in the other direction.
File
Dennis Yarnell and Beth Widseth, the owners of the Newcastle Shell, organized the station’s first golf tournament in 2012 to raise money for U.S. military veterans and the Fisher House Foundation.
But something occurred recently that reminded me of what truly makes a place special. It’s the people: the folks who check you out at the store, the restaurant owners who greet you, the waitresses who seat you, the librarian proud to be in a new home, the faces you see again and again as you go about the business of living. When you’ve been in one place for a long time, these human beings become woven into the fabric of your life, and in early February, that fabric was torn.
Liberty grad finishes USC film school
February 28, 2013
Alexander Bell, son of Alex and Jayne Bell of Newcastle, graduated Cum Laude in December 2012 from the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in cinematic arts, film and television production.
alexander bell
Bell, a 2009 graduate of Liberty High School and former Newcastle Diamond Award winner and Eagle Scout, was named to the dean’s list all semesters he attended USC and was able to graduate in 3 1/2 years. He is the second Liberty alum to graduate from the USC Film School in the last three years.
Mural brings paradise to Regency Newcastle
February 28, 2013
Walk into the pool room at Regency Newcastle and you are immediately transported to paradise.
An elaborate mural painted by artist Dan Meredith brings occupants to a rich, sand-covered beach, a tropical cantina and a peaceful courtyard with a solitary water fountain, all within the confines of four walls at the luxurious independent and assisted living facility.
Residents, staff members and visiting Newcastle City Council members have raved about Meredith’s little slice of paradise. What makes the feat even more remarkable is the fact that the mural is the Renton artist’s first large-scale piece.
By Christina Corrales-Toy
Artist Dan Meredith stands by a courtyard scene he painted on one wall of the pool room at Regency Newcastle.
“I would have never thought of doing something like this,” Meredith said. “I began this with some trepidation, but it’s been a wonderful experience and I’m hoping to do more of them.” Read more
Newcastle musician publishes first book at the age of 87
February 28, 2013
Newcastle resident Italene Gaddis may be 87 years old, but if you ask her, she doesn’t feel any older than she did as a child growing up in the South.
“You’re not a number,” she said. “People say ‘Are you really 87?’ and I say ‘No, not really, I’m Italene.’”
With her charming Southern drawl, the poet, musician and songwriter captivates with her quick wit and sunny disposition. She’s an endless source of encouraging words, uplifting songs and positive affirmations.
By Christina Corrales-Toy
Italene Gaddis, an 87-year-old poet, songwriter and musician, plays her autoharp in her Newcastle home Feb. 19.
Gaddis already shares her inspirational songs and poems, performing weekly at senior centers and retirement homes around the area, but now she plans to motivate the entire world with the publication of her book of poems, “From My Heart to Yours.”
Chamber hosts local sports reporter
February 1, 2013
NEW — 2:50 p.m. Feb. 1, 2013
Newcastle resident and award-winning sports radio host Bill Swartz will be the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce’s featured speaker at its Feb. 13 luncheon.
Swartz will talk about all things Seattle sports, from the Seahawks’ exciting play this season and the potential return of the Sonics, to an early outlook on the Mariners’ chances in 2013.
“Come to lunch and get a current perspective on Seattle sports so that you can sound like an informed sports enthusiast in your business and social circles,” Peter Zevenbergen, chamber president, said in a statement.
Lunch begins at 11 a.m. at Tapatio Mexican Grill, and costs $20 for chamber members and $25 for nonchamber members. The lunch includes food, tax and gratuity.
Attendees are asked to RSVP by emailing MonthlyLunch@newcastlecc.com.
Tapatio is at 6920 Coal Creek Parkway S.E.
Learn more at the chamber’s website, www.newcastlecc.com.
Laughing all the way
January 31, 2013
Les Miserables
It entered the house on Christmas Eve. There were 19 possible carriers. I’m betting on the baby. We ate, we drank, we hugged, we kissed, we exchanged gifts and germs, and then went out and infected everyone else we knew as well.
We were sick for a week and a half and then went back to work, congratulating ourselves on our general hardiness. Then, we relapsed. This time, it took us down like a pride of starving lions takes down a feeble wildebeest. Gone was a long-planned trip to Palm Springs, our appetites, our ability to breathe, our dignity and any misguided notion that we had control of anything in life. This is what I learned:
- You can lose weight on an I-Can’t-Taste-Anything, Food-Has-Lost-Its-Meaning Diet, but I wouldn’t advise it.
‘Dr. Golf’ has the cure for a poor showing on the links
January 31, 2013
Peggy Conley, or Dr. Golf as she is known to her students, enjoys a good project.
So, when it comes to her students, the instructor at The Golf Club at Newcastle prefers the ones whose golf games leave little to be desired.
“I particularly like people that are really bad and that have played for a long time, because, for example, I can cure a slice in just 10 minutes,” she said of the shot that often haunts amateur golfers.
Contributed
Former professional golfer Peggy Conley (right) helps Dr. Phil Young perfect his golf swing during a lesson at The Golf Club at Newcastle.
Conley is no stranger to the ups and downs of a golf game, having played the sport nearly her entire life. Several of those years were spent as a professional on the LPGA Tour and the European Tour.
