Lifestyle Stories - South King County

Sun shines on Auburn car show

Under brilliant sunshine, the Solid Rock Cruisers held their sixth annual Cruise to the Park on Saturday at Les Gove Park.

Unforgettable birthday gift takes wing for woman

First of all, if you have any children under 21 years old, please keep them from reading today’s column.

Classic day

Well-prepared, eager and focused, Bruce and Kathy Wandler will embark on a long-awaited cross country trip Monday.

Unveiling young love: A trip back to cherished ceremony of hope

Update on Auburn’s ‘Pacin Parson’

Ready to cross, see America with purpose in mind

Tanner Vea, a 2003 Auburn High School graduate and No. 1 in his class, is working for flagship PBS TV station Channel 13 in New York City as a Web producer.

Walk across America

Most elementary school students don’t wear a “puletasi” or “lavalava” to school, but a group of Kent Elementary School students don the traditional Samoan clothes every year to teach their classmates about their culture. Pacific Islanders — mostly American Samoans — make up the second largest ethnic group at diverse Kent Elementary, and they have brought their culture to the school’s Multicultural Fair in the form of dance for the last four years.

Auburn High grad is now Web producer for PBS New York

Samoan culture part of the fun at Kent grade-school fair

Paulus takes top tiara in Pioneer Queen contest

Covington woman went from 390 pounds to 135 | It's All You

Today I’m an energetic mother of three who runs, bikes, dances and even stands all day without getting tired. But just two years ago, I weighed 390 pounds and couldn’t even think of doing any of these activities.

One-day event puts 139 animals in new homes

Animal lovers opened opened their hearts, homes and wallets during the Suuper Pet Adoptathon last Saturday at King County’s animal control shelter in Kent.

Fun on the 4th was never like this

Can you spot the sentence that is not contained within our nation’s Declaration of Independence?

Contest prize: A no- fee park wedding and free lodging

June, a traditional wedding month, is over. But King County’s parks are still ripe for nuptials, officials say.

Kids alone in cars is risky, even deadly

Is it ever okay to leave a child in the car alone?

What others say

Online information about the risks of children left alone in cars is available at http://ggweather.com/heat/, www.kidsandcars.org and www.safekids.org.

E-mail ending with :) should be against the law

The other day, I thought of a new law that ought to be enacted.

Alpacas and their new cria-tions

This time of year is baby (called cria) birthing season at Alpacas at Morning Star Ranch in Ravensdale.

Make rain – past and future – your garden’s friend

Got rain?

Adopt-a-thon happening June 21 at Kent animal shelter

Looking for a new friend? So are cats at King County’s animal shelters, where officials hope to match the furry occupants with new owners as part of a nationwide campaign. June is national Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month. King County Animal Control will host its third annual Super Pet Adopt-a-thon today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its shelter in Kent. Twenty animal-adoption groups will have adoptable pets at the location.

Art can make your children smarter

Kidz Workshop maintains high standards when hiring teachers

World famous trains offer alternative to driving | Column

Traveling today, particularly if it involves the airlines, can be a hassle to say the least. Driving vacations have lost some of their luster with the high price of gas. One great alternative is to explore by train. Train tours take you back to the golden era of luxury train travel, with dining cars set with fine linen and crystal, and observation cars offering panoramic views.

Federal Way company looks to make social networks safer | Commentary

Social networking sites such as Myspace.com and Facebook.com are common “stomping grounds” for many youth ages 11-19.

Parents should talk with teens about relationships — no matter how awkward

A friend recently asked me to write about the appropriate age for youth to have a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend.” There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Much depends on each family’s values and customs. Often, I find parents have different concerns depending on whether they are discussing sons or daughters. Regardless of gender, I believe it’s important to think about your expectations and concerns, then discuss them with your child.

Fiji: South Pacific paradise without the cannibals

One of the world’s more exotic destinations, Fiji is a tropical paradise in the South Pacific, made up of 322 islands nearly 2,000 miles east of Australia.

Super-duper chili cheese dogs

Ingredients

Tourism booming on ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ island | Column

The Commonwealth of Dominica is one of the British Windward Islands, situated between Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean. Tourism has dramatically increased on the island since it became the setting for the hit movie series “Pirates of the Caribbean” as well as the CBS reality series “Pirate Master.”

Don’t be afraid to trim early bloomers

The last week in June is the time to get snippy.

There's still time this season to plant a veggie garden | Marianne Binetti

The third week of June has summer annual plants filling in the beds, perennials putting on a show and everyone wishing they had planted a vegetable garden. It’s not too late! Fill some pots with potting soil, dig up some fresh ground and buy vegetable starts this week for a late-summer harvest.

Wash. Rep. Miloscia sole winner of U.S. homelessness council award | Briefs

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness selected State Rep. Mark Miloscia, D-District 30, to receive its annual national “Home for Every American” State Legislative Award. He is the sole recipient of this award for 2008. Miloscia will be honored for his leadership, partnership, and results at the council’s third annual national summit for jurisdictional leaders at the National Press Club in Washington.

Kent unveils new park, new health initiative

About 20 people participated in “The Mayor’s Mile” to help kick off a new community health initiative as part of the Town Square Plaza Park dedication Saturday in downtown Kent.

Wii want to read? Kent library goes high-tech for teens

Thirteen-year-old Tom Duong attended his first Game On! session early this spring at the Kent Regional Library, 212 Second Ave. N. By the end of the school year he had become a fixture at the library’s twice-monthly video game sessions – not just as a player, but also as a volunteer helper.

Kent Town Square party June 28

It’s kick-off time in Kent.

A party at the plaza

City officials will throw a “Party at the Plaza” starting at 10 a.m. Saturday to celebrate the opening of Town Square Plaza Park, and to kick off a community health initiative.

Take precautions to ensure a safe summer

Every summer brings warm weather and people looking to cool off in local lakes, rivers and swimming pools. It also brings an increase in the number of drownings and near-drownings, as well as heat-related emergencies.

Auburn family biking cross-country to Washington, D.C.

Well-prepared, eager and focused, Bruce and Kathy Wandler embarked on a long-awaited cross country trip Monday. Destination: Washington D.C. Distance: 3,300 miles over 48 days. Consumption: Not an ounce of outrageously-priced gasoline, just plenty of grit and leg power.

Kent Special Events Calendar | June 18

Jazz musicians and local artists will present their work at An Evening of Jazz and Art at 5:30-8:30 p.m. June 26 at the Kent Senior Activity Center, located at 600 E. Smith St. in Kent.

Briefly

Jazz musicians and local artists will present their work at An Evening of Jazz and Art at 5:30-8:30 p.m. June 26 at the Kent Senior Activity Center, located at 600 E. Smith St. in Kent.

Kent, Des Moines farmers markets open through summer | Briefs

Local farmers offer goods at two local farmers markets Saturdays this summer.

How I went from 390 pounds to 135

'Adopt-a-thon' in Kent puts 139 animals in new homes

Animal lovers opened opened their hearts, homes and wallets during the Suuper Pet Adoptathon last Saturday at King County’s animal control shelter in Kent. Families and individuals adopted 139 homeless pets from the shelter, whose service area includes Covington, Maple Valley and Black Diamond.

Fun on the 4th was never like this

Can you spot the sentence that is not contained within our nation’s Declaration of Independence?

Contest prize: A no- fee park wedding and free lodging

June, a traditional wedding month, is over. But King County’s parks are still ripe for nuptials, officials say.

Kids alone in cars is risky, even deadly

Is it ever okay to leave a child in the car alone?

What others say

Online information about the risks of children left alone in cars is available at http://ggweather.com/heat/, www.kidsandcars.org and www.safekids.org.

Laws to live by | Pat Cashman

The other day, I thought of a new law that ought to be enacted. It was on a plane flight from Seattle to San Francisco. The woman in my row sitting in the window seat had pulled the shade down so she could sleep, depriving me and anyone else in our row of seeing out. Heck, there could have been all kinds of interesting things to ogle at – maybe even a monster on the wing like in that old episode of “Twilight Zone.” But I’d never know, thanks to Sleeping Beauty.

Alpacas and their new cria-tions

This time of year is baby (called cria) birthing season at Alpacas at Morning Star Ranch in Ravensdale.

Make rain – past and future – your garden’s friend

Got rain?

Wanted: Good homes for cats

The Gallagher family of Renton wins the recycling challenge

After five weeks of sifting through garbage, the challenge is over. The six East Renton Plateau families are done lugging their trash bags to a scale each week. The final numbers have been crunched, and a winner has been determined. And that winner isn’t the early favorite. Five weeks ago, the name on everyone’s lips was Baiba. But after Thursday’s final weigh-in, that name had become Rebecca. And James, Emma, 8, and Owen, 5. Those, plus dog Sophie, are the members of the Gallagher family. And with an 82-percent garbage reduction over the past five weeks, the Gallaghers are the winners of the Renton Neighborhood Challenge, part of King County’s campaign called “Recycle More. It’s Easy To Do.”

Renton families wrap up recycling challenge June 26

It’s the home stretch in the Renton Neighborhood Challenge, and the competitors are still going strong. Over the past four weeks, the six East Renton Plateau families have reduced their trash by a combined 80 pounds – from just over 146 pounds at the first May 29 weigh-in to just over 65 pounds at last Wednesday’s. Tomorrow, (Thursday) the six neighbors will lug their trash bags to the scale one last time. The family whose trash has lost the most weight over the five weeks wins the challenge.

Search for Renton 'Highlands Man,' Woman may lead to closed grocery store

The leads investigators are following to identify Highlands Man and, now, Highlands Woman, may take them to Johnson’s Grocery, which closed in north Renton more than three decades ago.

Puget Sound global sightseeing group to celebrate 50th anniversary

The Puget Sound See Gulls Trailer Club once did lots of seeing. Once or twice a month the families boarded their motor homes and travel trailers and set off for the ocean, Skagit County, Death Valley, Mount Vernon and even Tahiti. Once there they had cook-outs, played games and held dress-up contests.

South County club offers help for moms of multiples

After discovering she was pregnant, Linda Simpson told her husband James she wanted another baby. With three young children at home, James didn’t like the idea. But Linda challenged him, joking, “Don’t tell me what to do — I’ll have twins!” And she did. Twins weren’t new in the Simpson family. Simpson’s husband James is an identical twin. Her twin daughter Jana later continued the tradition, having a set of twins herself. Still, twins were a surprise for Simpson. She found out only six weeks before giving birth. So she was thrilled to receive an invitation to join Valley Mothers of Multiples Club, Inc., (then Valley Mothers of Twins Club).