Liveable Community Fair

Every year, this community event grows and makes me more proud of our neighbourhood. This year we were so thrilled to have a booth set up by our friends, the nursing students from PLU, for educating the community on ticks and the dangers of tick-borne infections. Anna and I came to join them and handed-out over 125 tick tools. I was very happy to hand some over to Chuck West and other firefighters, which they all assure me will be carried on the rigs for their own safety.





The kids kept everyone entertained with lively songs, some percussion and choreography.













This is Bob Delaney who works hard for Habitat For Humanity. Right now they're building two new houses on the Key Peninsula. If you'd like to volunteer for this worthy cause, please go to www.tpc-habitat.org and click on "volunteer link," or call Bob at (253) 884-6469










The Parks Department had great representation. We made sure they received their tick tools and thanked them for all they do. They had great Penrose Park t-shirts, so I bought one to take home to my husband.

So many booths...Friends of the Library, Two Waters, Public Works, Conservation efforts, the Key Pen News. This really is becoming a full community effort, where all neighbours become passionate for their causes and bring information to the people. Edie Morgan had a great set-up to show folks how The Mustard Seed Project is going. This is a non-profit organization, invested in helping our elders stay in their community and receive the help they need right here.

I thought it fitting to end with Edie's table...and this beautiful note (click on the pic to enlarge and read) on how to build community. By the looks of 2009's Fair, we're doing alright. Thank you to everyone who put their hard work into the event.

Fire hydrant just for dogs

New Tacoma Cemetery at Chambers Creek recently opened a pet cemetery adjacent to the main cemetery for humans. Right in the middle of the pet cemetery is a bright red fire hydrant. Whether it is functional or not, it is striking in its appearance seemingly out of place in the middle of a field. It is almost certainly there symbolically as a special place for dogs to lift their legs.

Livable Community Fair features fuchsias, fire trucks, fabulous food and more

The 8th Annual Key Peninsula Livable Community Fair returns on Saturday, May 9, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the Key Peninsula Civic Center, 17010 S. Vaughn Road KPN in Vaughn. This unique event showcases over 45 non‐profit and community resource booths, a fuchsia and plant sale, and a variety of kids’ activities, including crafts and “Touch‐a‐Truck,” where kids get to touch real trucks.

“The fair began in 2002 as an open house for nonprofits,” Tim Kezele, event chair, said. “Over the years, it has become one of the best attended, family‐friendly free events on the peninsula. Each year we try to add something new to keep the crowds coming back. We hope this year’s “Touch‐a‐Truck” will bring in more families with kids to explore the trucks and learn about community resources on the Peninsula.”

The event will also feature an update at 1:00 p.m. from legislative representatives Rep. Larry Seaquist, Rep. Jan Angel and Sen. Derek Kilmer. Councilman Terry Lee and District Fire Chief Chuck West will also be on hand at 11:00 a.m. to discuss bringing resources to the KP in a time of economic difficulty.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Chuck West said. “Somehow we need to get the services to our citizens in this community.” Councilman Terry Lee agreed. “It's the ideas that I expect to come from the public at the Key Peninsula Livable Community Fair that will give me my marching orders for the remainder of my term in office,” Lee said.

Live entertainment will include Rhythm‐n‐Shoes Cloggers, musician and artist Matthew Hulse and the Minter Creek Elementary Choir and Marimbas. The Lakebay Fuchsia Society will host a flower and garden show and sale, and a Master Gardener will be on hand to answer questions. Food and beverages will be available for sale.

The Key Peninsula History Museum will also be open for the occasion.

For more information, or to volunteer, call 253‐884‐3456, or email: kpciviccenter@centurytel.net.

PR nightmare for Oprah and KFC

Oprah & KFC have a PR nightmare on their hands after her "free 2-piece grilled chicken dinner" coupon printing promo two days ago. (Mizu, you're lucky you went when you did!)

We waited in line more than 20 minutes at the drive-thru last evening only to be told upon arriving at the menu board that "Due to a national shortage of chicken, we are unable to honor the coupons at this time." KFC needs to put up some easily visible signage stating that prior to when customers are trapped in the queue with no way out. Bait and switch. After having been stuck that long in line, instead of a free meal, we felt trapped, unable to back out of line or move ahead so we ended up ordering other menu items. (see below for the irony of what was or wasn't available)

A "national shortage of chicken" in 24 hours?!? This was just the day after the show aired! http://oprah.com/kfc

The coupons were to be redeemable until May 19th with the exception of Mother's Day; however, now they state that they will be unable to honor any of the remaining coupons during that timeframe. What kind of planning went into the promotion? A well-intentioned roll-out for the new grilled chicken at KFC swiftly disintegrated into a national embarassment. Heads will roll...not just chickens' heads either.

Instead, the restaurants are handing out a mail-in request for a raincheck coupon that can be redeemed "at a later date" (no specified date has apparently been determined)...so customers must complete the raincheck form, mail it to KFC, then wait for their new coupon to be mailed back to them. What a fiasco!

The greater irony was that even though they could not honor the coupon for the "free 2-piece grilled chicken," if you wanted to place an order for a 9-piece bucket of grilled chicken, they were able to provide that. So, if there was a "national shortage" of chicken and they could not honor the free 2-piece grilled chicken coupon, how was it then that they had no problem with filling a $15 order for a 9-piece bucket of grilled chicken?

Go figure...

Sky-Watcher

Never a dull moment in my little patch of sky!



















This made me think the clouds blew a bubble.















"Why worry...there's always laughter after pain...there's always sunshine after rain...these things have always been the same...so why worry now?" Mark Knopfler.

This I Believe

NPR just completed a four year run of This I Believe, a revival of the Edward R. Morrow series of the 1950s. I’ve enjoyed listening to the episodes of essays written by Americans about what is important in their life.

More than once over the past four years I thought about writing down what I believe. Since I enjoy writing it seemed like a natural fit, but I had trouble crystallizing the overall factor that is at the root of everything I believe. So the run of This I Believe came to an end with no submission from me. Then I received a forwarded email that both raised my hackles and brought my life into focus so this is what I believe. If you are interested check out my beliefs.

Savoring A Free Meal Thanks To Oprah Winfrey And KFC!

Like millions of other Americans who've stopped to read the major headlines of the day, as a reader I have been aware of how Oprah Winfrey has single-handedly changed the face of the world as we know it.

On occasion I have been often moved or otherwise impressed by the range and scope of topics tackled and variety of guests and stories told by this remarkable woman who has invited her television views to accompany her on the truly fascinating and inspiring journey which is her life.

Left: Mmmmn! Thanks to a limited time offer announced on Oprah Winfrey's television show, I enjoyed the delicious grilled chicken meal (sans soft drink purchased separately) shown here! Photo by Mizu Sugimura.

But never in my wildest dreams had I thought I'd ever had occasion to thank Oprah for a free meal until this very day.


However my son Bryan and I just happened to be home this afternoon viewing television when the show came on. And when she announced the availability of a down loadable coupon on her website which would entitle the bearer to exchange it for a limited time offer of a free 2 piece grilled chicken dinner with 2 sides and a biscuit at a participating Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet, he was happy to leave his seat in front of the tube, head in the direction of our family computer, log on to Oprah.com and print out the offer.

In so doing, my son was able to secure an opportunity for us to be part of something larger - an unexpected (from our side) nationwide television audience giveaway. A few hours later after running errands I stopped at our local KFC to redeem my coupon. After placing my order I waited briefly seated at a nearby booth. While passing time I would say a total of 3 out of every 4 persons I observed enter the premises through the doorway of this local outlet clutched an otherwise identical coupon in hand. Adding them up, it was easy to imagine similar scenes unfolding across the county.

In this manner, I along with possibly millions of my fellow Americans are no longer immune if any of us were before to the Oprah effect having now personally witnessed first-hand the power and influence her show and offer a free meal has on the public. Thanks to Oprah I know just how ho-hum memories of an otherwise ordinary day in a busy, stress filled week in the shadow of disease and continuing gloom of a down and drawn-out world economy can be quickly transformed into a wonderful moment and permanently engraved culinary repast.

It's also an example that we can all draw equal inspiration of the power to change.